


The Strides of Skinny Love

by tafih



Category: Zootopia (2016)
Genre: F/M, Gen, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-02
Updated: 2016-08-11
Packaged: 2018-06-05 21:23:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 29,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6724054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tafih/pseuds/tafih
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Strides of Skinny Love: A Qualitative and Observational Analysis of Unrequited Love and the Temptations of Romantic Reciprocation Across Species </p><p>By Dr. Juniper Leong-Scott, PsyD.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Pour a little salt

_The Strides of Skinny Love: A Qualitative and Observational Analysis of Unrequited Love and the Temptations of Romantic Reciprocation Across Species_  By Dr. Juniper Leong-Scott, PsyD. 

* * *

  **Key Terms:**

  * **Skinny Love:** _Refers to a relationship formed out of necessity but is “skinny” due to a failure to further and nurture the relationship in a healthy manner. A modern term coined by singer-songwriter and producer Justin Furnon, frontman of the band Bun Iver. (Similar terms: co-dependency, enmeshed romance, infatuation, etc.)_


  * **Inter-species Relationships** (or Speciest Pansexuality): _Describes relationships between two members of different species and/or genus, regardless of gender or sexuality. Currently, as noted by several recent studies on animal sexuality (Antlerson & Hedgehodge 2004; Lyons 2010; Lyons & Van_ _Bär_ _2015), inter-species relationships_ _–_ _especially that of the predator-prey variety_ _–_ _are typically unaccepted or frowned upon by the general public._



**Subjects** :

(A) Judy Laverne Hopps (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Judy Hopps is the first rabbit officer of the Zootopia Police Department, District 1 – City Center. Badge number 5839. Known for her work on the “Nighthowler” case and high-profile arrests of Mayor(s) Lionheart and Bellweather. Currently, the appropriate authorities are reviewing her promotion to detective. Hopps has been chosen for this study as she has been classified as one member of a skinny love relationship and will be hereby identified as Codependent A.

 

and, (B) Nicholas Piberius Wilde (Vulpes vulpes)

Nicholas Wilde is the first fox officer of the Zootopia Police Department, District 1 – City Center. Badge number 6425. Known for assisting Officer Judy Hopps with the “Nighthowler” case as a civilian prior his employment as an officer of the law. Previous juvenile record. Wilde has been chosen for this study as an identified member of a skinny love relationship and will be hereby identified as Codependent B. 

* * *

  **Session One** \- “Pour a little salt”

Apparently, it all began with a hustle.

“That’s quite a story,” Dr. Leong-Scott, a melanistic leopard stated – her general tone of mirth revealing her _slight_ amusement at the roundabout and purposefully truncated ramblings of her patient, Officer Nicholas P. Wilde, concerning and his recent employment with the ZPD and the events that led to it. 

The psychologist jots down a few notes on her pad with a fountain pen gripped tightly in her ebony deft paws.

Nick, being immensely uncomfortable by _everything_ – the pleather couch he sits on, the obtusely modern art hanging on the walls, the leopard writing notes on his sanity, etc. – decides to power through it as he does all things, puts on a smile and asks, “So I can go, right? No more need for all of _this_.” He waves at the air between himself and the doctor.

She stops writing and peers up. “By _this_ ,” also waving at the air between them, “Officer Wilde, do you mean your mandatory psych eval?”

“And by _’mandatory’_ , you mean ‘ _forced into against my will_ ’, correct?” he drolly rejoins. Deadpan.

“You really have no concerns whatsoever concerning the events of yesterday night?”

He winces in a way that comes off as a half-smirk. “Obviously I do but, no offense, doc…” He raises his brows and leans back into the couch while she narrows her eyes. “I’d rather be anywhere else than be here.”

“And by ‘ _anywhere else’_ you actually mean the bedside of your comatose partner…” Dr. Leong-Scott parallels his earlier words and observes his superficial non-reaction. “…Instead of talking about what happened with a complete stranger?”

“So we both admit I’m not crazy.”

“Officer Wilde, the case report states that you entered a frenzy after Officer Hopps was shot.”

Nick feels his whole soul narrowing into his eyes. “Which is to be expected. She’s my partner.”

“You attacked a civilian.”

“I was within reasonable grounds. He was armed and violent,” he growls, anger rising out his shoulders and into his words, “He. _SHOT._ My. Partner. I was simply reacting. You cannot-.”

“Officer Wilde,” Leong-Scott interrupted, softly. A hand raised. “I know.”

Nick blinks, catching the unwinding of his character and gathers himself with a sharp inhale.

“Your friend got hurt. That is more than enough warrant for what you have done.” Her voice is soothing and confident – like a warm cup of milk chai.

Nick thinks to himself that her voice is probably why Leong-Scott, of all animals, is one of the two mammals that work with ZPD officers probably wracked with PTSD and teary eyes.

She continues, " Both Chief Bogo and myself recognize that. You’re not being penalized.”

“Then why am I here?” he groans into his paw, running it through his fur in an attempt to push out the headache accruing in his temples.

She gives him a muted smile. “Why do _you_ think you’re here?”

Nick releases an embittered chuckle. “Ah, the good ol’ answer a question with a question - ‘ _Why don’t you find the answer yourself_ ’ approach.”

“Well,” Dr. Leong-Scott mutters, scribbling something down, “I doubt you would actually heed the advice of someone you just met.” She shrugs facetiously.

Nick pauses. “Got me pegged, huh?”

“I _am_ a psychologist. But it also takes a snark to know a snark.”

“How _very_ revealing, Dr. S,” he says in his reflexive teasing nature.

A short-lived dimple appears in her cheek. She returns to business. “I don’t want to baby you into revealing your deepest darkest secrets, Officer Wilde. You’re the type who needs time to open up. I knew that as soon as I heard you grumble in the lobby.”

“Wow. Okay.”

“However, to make things easier for you – which is the _main_ reason why you’re here right now – I will go against the ‘ _find your answer yourself’_ approach and actually tell you my diagnosis after our -,” she looks at her watch, “…fourteen minute session. Huh. Think that’s a record.”

“Breaking things is what I’m all about,” Nick returns, externally smug.

“How _very_ revealing, Officer Wilde.”

He purses his lips.

“So?” he asks. "The verdict?" 

“Visiting Officer Hopps won’t solve anything.”

Nick shudders internally.

“You spent all of twenty-two hours with her in the past thirty-six. Including the ten hours at the hospital before your _enforced_ leave to rest and see me here.”

“Wanna tell me something I don’t know?” Nick whispers, dejectedly. He doesn’t mean to antagonize. He’s just – dare we say it – _sad_.

“You care about her. Almost to the point where it paralyzes you when you think about her getting hurt.”

Nick fails to respond.

“Which you knew emotionally but not mentally. This last case, however, busted that door down. The door behind which you typically hide how much you actually care. Still, even now, you don’t want to admit how much you care.”

Nick forces a tight, clenched smile. “So are you saying I’m in my _denial_ phase and I’ll need to move onto the next one – what was it, again? Bargaining?”

“Anger, actually. And those stages are a load of _merde_ ,” Dr. S states fairly matter-of-fact.

Nick raises his brows at her candor as the psychologist talks on, “Dealing with instances of trauma – whether big or small – is dealt with at your own time. And more often than not, mammals acknowledge their grief almost instantly and then deal with it in their own way. Bottom line is, though, is that they _deal,_ ” Dr. Leong-Scott ends somberly. 

She crosses her legs and puts her clipboard down on the shelf to her side. The doctor shifts slightly in her seat and huffs. She leans against her paw.

“However, you have past traumas that have yet to be dealt with and this recent event pushed a lot of messy things up to the forefront.”

Nick swallows everything she says, masticating on each word with each churn of his stomach. He does not deny any of it. He can't. 

“Officer Wilde, have you considered the possibility that you and Officer Hopps share a codependent relationship?”

He snaps out of his daze, realizing now that she stopped talking _at_ him and was expecting an answer. “No…but isn’t that a good thing? You know, the whole _depending_ on each other – kumbaya b.s.?”

“Not so much in the psychological sense.”

Nick frowns. “What are you suggesting, doc?”

“That we’ll have some new ground to cover next time you come in,” she cheerfully grins and abruptly stands. Nick jolts in his seat.

“Why don’t you stop by in two days? Your shift ends at five, right?”

The doctor ambles to her desk and peers over the large calendar that covers the flat of the table.

“What?”

She ignores him. “I’m scheduling you in for 5:30 then. Wednesday.” Then she takes a pencil from a mason jar full of miscellaneous writing tools.

Nervously, like a fly caught in a bottle, Nick mutters. “This isn’t how most shrinks do this, right?”

She scribbles his name down in a little date box and circles it. “You obviously realized that I’m not like most shrinks, Officer Wilde.” She strides to the door and places her paw on the handle. Then looks back at him with an expression that Nick cannot read for the life of him. “Because most shrinks deal with mammals who come out of their own accord, their family's, or after an emergency…the mammals who see _me_ do so of vocational obligation. So as I said, I’m not going to baby you. Instead, I’d like you to _marinate_ in what we discussed today and I’ll see you in two days.”

With that, she opens the door and gestures him out.

* * *

  **One**.

The second Judy wakes, Nick is there, peering over her.

“There’s my girl,” he whispers. His usual infectious smile unfurls across his muzzle, compelling Judy to smile herself through her haze. Eventually, she realizes that his smile turns tense and his typically warm eyes are flat, somber, and distraught.

Her heart aches for a moment and she cannot figure out exactly why.

* * *

  **Official report:** (To be turned in to Chief Bogo). 

 

 **_Dr. Capíbrera and Associates_ ** **– Psychiatric Medicine and Counseling**

**6954 Main St., Suite 405**

**Savanna Ctrl,** **Zootopia** **10010**

RE: Psychological Evaluation of Officer Nicholas Wilde (#6425)

EVALUATOR: Dr. Juniper Leong-Scott, PsyD.

CASE NUMBER: CN5683SL

SUMMARY EVALUATION: 

Officer Wilde (#6425) is of sound mind. The recent incident, in which his partner, Officer Judy Hopps, was gravely injured and rushed to the hospital after an encounter with a violent boar, has emotionally affected him but will not overtly or negatively impact his subsequent competence as an officer. However, four more sessions are highly recommended before he is reassigned to field duty.

FINAL RECOMMENDATION: **SUITABLE FOR ACTIVE FIELD SERVICE**

Signed,

Dr. Juniper Leong-Scott, PsyD.

 

* * *

  **Notes** : August 1, Monday – Officer Nicholas Wilde

  * **_Denial_**
  * Forced laughter and humor as defense mechanism – hiding
  * Past traumas – including Nighthowler aftermath(?), should be dealt with
  * Hasn’t found out that I’ve seen them on their coffee dates (lol)
  * Nicholas Wilde is very much in love with Judy Hopps.



**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Their badge numbers are just their names based on a telephone keypad...because I'm so smart. Tch.  
> I honestly shouldn't be writing this but I couldn't help myself. I've seen this film three times already. It is THAT good. And after delving into the fandom, I found myself wondering if someone claimed that the ultimate OTP was a skinny love and how the individuals involved would remedy that. Thus, this fic was born.  
> Obviously inspired by "Skinny Love" by Bon Iver.  
> What are your thoughts??? Because I don't know what I'm doing.


	2. Sullen load is full, so slow on the split

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following interactions demonstrate the various ways mutualism appears in the identified skinny love relationship between Codependents A and B.
> 
> (1) Nick and Judy have a little pow-wow.
> 
> (2) Nick and Judy attend a baptism in Tundra Town.

**Session Two** – “Sullen load is full, so slow on the split”

The inclement rage of dying summer pounds against the glass of the tall window of Dr. Leong-Scott’s office right behind the pleather couch.

Bandaged but bubbly still, Judy Hopps is veritably perched on that couch where her partner had slouched on two days prior, chatting away about all the people who came to visit her in her hospital room, how her cast was getting annoying, and how physical therapy was taking over her schedule.

“But everyone’s been pretty optimistic about my shoulder healing. So I should be able to get back to work soon,” Judy chirps excitedly.

Amused at the rabbit’s aggressive positivity, Dr. Leong-Scott smirks and jots something down on her yellow legal pad. “Your transition back seems to be going well,” she comments.

“It’s not a complete transition back – though. Chief Bogo has me on desk duty until you and my doctor clear me for field work again,” Judy partially groans – trying to hide her disappointment. _Trying_ being the operative word.

“Well, you passed your psych eval by my estimations. Your emotional health seems fine, comparatively.”

“So, can I go back to work?” Judy asks expectantly, not catching the tense way Dr. Leong-Scott said _comparatively_.

“Unfortunately, Officer Hopps, nothing I say to Chief Bogo will deter him from taking you off of desk duty for a while. Not until that shoulder completely heals. And I agree.”

Judy sighs then pouts, bitterly eyeing the lumpy cast and sling resting against her torso.

“I do have a few more questions, however,” Dr. Leong-Scott adds.

Judy nods, “Of course.”

“How would you describe your relationship with Officer Wilde?”

“Nick?” He’s great! Honestly, he’s the first actual real friend I made in Zootopia other than Fru Fru -." Judy stops herself. 

Dr. June pauses. Her eyes ajar in shock and her beloved fountain pen almost tipping out of her paw. “Fru Fru…as in the sole daughter of Mr. Big – the crime lord of Tundra Town?”

Judy’s eyes grow wide and her ears stand tall in apprehension.

The leopard half-smiles, “Everything you say is completely confidential. I’m not even going to write that down. But I am curious to know who you consider to be your friends here in the city.”

“Well, there’s Nick, obviously. Then there’s Clawhauser – he and I go out for drinks sometime – and Fru Fru is really such a dear. We texted almost every day during the months I had left the force after Lionheart got arrested. And I’m _actually_ her daughter’s godmother,” Judy purrs proudly with a coy shrug.

The psychologist nods and scribbles. “How would you describe…or _categorize_ these relationships?”

Judy searches her brain for an answer and her eyes scan the ceiling. “Well, Fru Fru is a girlfriend – through and through. She’s a lot like Suzie – my younger sister –their Pikaterest boards are amazing,” she exuberantly exclaims with matching paw-gestures then continues, “Clawhauser, well, he was the first one to actually be _nice_ to me when I started working at the precinct and he is absolutely adorable. All in all, I just really enjoy their company!” she warbles, her eyes bright.

“And what about Officer Wilde?”

Judy stops. Her face stills as her mind swirls in contemplation, pondering upon the notion of her friendship with Nick for a lengthy moment.

“Well, Nick and I have been through so much together – it’s definitely different from what I have with Fru and Benji.”

“How so? What exactly is different?”

“I…I…He…We work well together. We banter. We bicker. We’re friends, sure, but even more than that – we’re _partners_.”

“You were the one who pushed to apply to become a police officer, correct?”

“Yeah,”

“Why?”

“Why?” she repeats, confused, defensive, dazed. “He…he had the potential and we _do_ really work well together.”

“You work well with many other mammals. Your likeability is very apparent, Officer Hopps. But why did you want to continue the partnership you had with Officer Wilde?”

Judy feels out of sorts – like she’s mentally sitting on a cushion of tacks rather than on one of cotton and fabric. “I don’t know. At first, it was out of necessity but then it started – I don’t know – I guess, it was always out of necessity. I needed his help to find Otterton and when I came back to find the mammal targeting predators, I just knew I couldn’t do it without him…”

“Why were you certain of that, in particular? That you ‘ _couldn’t do it without him_ ’?” the psychologist promptly questions, her tone intentionally but understatedly severe.

Judy’s defensive instincts flare within and she begins to ramble through her bewilderment. “I didn’t have the resources. I didn’t know the city like he does. I didn’t know ‘everyone’ like he claims he does…I knew I needed him if I were to see the case through until the very end.”

Instantly, Dr. Leong-Scott furthers, “And what about now?”

Judy frowns, blinking in instantaneous confusion.

So Dr. Leong-Scott continues, “Now, you _do_ have the resources. Now, you do know the city. Now, you do know enough mammals to get around on your own. Do you still need him to see things through?”

“I just...” Judy cannot find the words to answer. “I don’t know. I just know that Nick’s really important to me.”

The psychologist shifts slightly in her chair, reclining just enough for Judy to relax again. Secretly, the rabbit wonders if she should have requested to be evaluated by Dr. Capíbrera – a good-natured and kindly capybara from Arenquetina – instead of his leopard associate.

But Nick had said good things about Dr. Leong-Scott, Judy reasoned. Then she recalls how _actually_ he had just said, “Yeah, she’s good”, instead of his typical noncommittal answer and how she took that as his approval of the – quite frightening – creature sitting before her, furiously scribbling notes.

Then, said frightening creature suddenly asks, “How did Officer Wilde respond to everything that has happened?”

Judy sighs. “I think Nick really took it hard. When I woke up, he actually _yelled_ at me,” she comments, displaying her past shock with her wide eyes. “I mean, we made up when I started P.T. but…” Then she frowned, “But I’m a _cop_. I knew what kind of danger I would be getting myself into since I was _thirteen_. Nick really should know that too. But he – he got so angry.”

“Do you think it was unfair of him?” Dr. Leong-Scott asks. “To get that angry?”

“I understand why he got upset – I almost died. I get it. But he threatened to stop being my partner! He was going on and on about how I was addicted to danger and how I had to remember that I had a family and friends… things that I already know,” Judy pontificates insistently. Her paw grips into an anxious and rigid fist at her side, scraping against the material of the couch.

The sound of pen scratches resounds with the beating of the rain for a moment.

“So would you be prepared to give up your life for the badge?”

“Absolutely.”

“Then would you be prepared for the possibility of Officer Wilde taking a bullet for you?”

Judy shudders internally. 

Dr. Leong-Scott goes on. “What if Officer Wilde was the one in that hospital bed? What if he was the one you weren’t sure was going to make it or not.”

“I wouldn’t let that happen.”

Dr. Leong-Scott ceases her note-taking for a moment and gingerly questions, “Officer Hopps, why exactly did you dive into the trajectory of the gunshot?”

“I didn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

“You didn’t want _Officer Wilde_ to get hurt.”

The rabbit feels a chilling numbness emanate under her eyes.

“Officer Hopps, the bullet shattered your shoulder blade. If you jumped a second too late or hadn’t worn your Kevlar vest, it would’ve shattered your heart. _And_ you required multiple surgeries in order to get you to the miraculous stable state you are in now. The CCTV recordings of the skirmish show that the boar’s aim was completely off. The bullet wouldn’t have even hit Officer Wilde and even if it did, it would have just grazed him. But you threw yourself right into its course. I understand that with the factors of adrenaline, your care for your partner, you-,”

“Someone shot at him before.”

Dr. S jolts back in surprise.

Tears glazing her violet eyes, Judy wrestles out her emotions in a flurry of words. “Someone shot at Nick before. And, _yes_ , that time it was planned – it was all for show – but I couldn’t shake that feeling of _what if_. What if Nick actually did get shot? What if I actually did lose him that day? I couldn’t let that happen. _Especially_ not while he’s my partner. I wasn’t even thinking when I saw the perp pull out the gun. I just dove. I wanted to protect him.” Judy sniffs, inhales sharply, and mutters out, “I couldn’t lose him.”

“But he almost lost you.”

Tears finally fall from Judy’s eyes and Dr. Leong-Scott provides her with an appropriately sized box of tissues, which the rabbit takes gratefully.

“So…what should I do?” the little policewoman asks through her soft and quiet tears.

“What do you think you should do?”

Judy huffs with determination. “I’m going to apologize to him.”

* * *

 **One**.

That day, Nick hears a knock on the door that lead into his dingy underground apartment. When he opens it and looks down, he sees a basket of fresh blueberries, with the infamous, omnipresent, ever-involved carrot-pen nestled atop of it.

He snorts and bends down to pick up the pen. He clicks **play**.

Judy’s soft voice reverberates out of the speaker, saying, “ _I was a dumb bunny. I’m sorry for making you think you lost me. I miss you **berry** much.”_

“That is probably the worst one I have heard so far, Carrots,” Nick chuckles, referring to the pun, and glances to the left as Judy peeps out of her hiding spot behind a corner.

“It was the best I could do on short notice,” she retorts.

“But we already made up – what’s all this for?” He asks as he lifts the basket. “Not that I mind the free blueberries.” He pops one into his mouth.

“I honestly didn’t realize how much I scared you,” she mutters as she steps out. She notices Nick cringing at the sight of her cast. She almost breaks into tears. “You see…” she gestures to him, her desperate anxiety exploding out of her. “I…I didn’t realize. I am sorry, Nick. I really am-,”

Suddenly, Judy feels Nick’s warmth against hers. His arms enfold her to him to the extent where he is nearly lifting her off the ground but he is careful of her cast. 

She eyes the basket of blueberries at his feet. He had set it down to hug her.

She lifts her good arm to press against the broad of his back, to hug him back, not realizing until then how at ease he allows her to be when she is in his presence.

* * *

 **Two**.

That week, Fru Fru’s second child was born – a miniscule but healthy shrew named Matteo.

A week after that, Judy had her cast taken off – albeit prematurely according to her doctor’s standards and only with grand promises made to her physical therapist.

But now she could attend the baptism in the new blue dress she had bought.

Judy squirms in that blue dress as she shuffles on top a large dictionary that unevenly sinks into the cushions of the passenger seat of a small sedan. Thick flakes of snow floating down from the grey heavens, dance onto and across the windshield. 

“You know,” Judy sighs, peering to her side where Nick sits with his paws on the steering wheel. “I just assumed you never got your license since Finnick drove you everywhere for your hustles.”

“How would I be able to get into the Academy, let alone help out my partner take her time with her make-up – which looks FINE by the way – if I didn’t have a license?”

Judy tosses him a cold glare then looks back at the small circular mirror of her foundation compact and puckers her lips to apply a thin coat of pink lip-gloss.

Nick catches himself about to stare and coughs, “So remind me again how you were ever roped into attending a Catholic baptism as a godparent - **_again_**? Is that even allowed?”

“I can be the godmother of two siblings. So, yes, it is allowed.”

“But you’re not even Catholic.”

“My family’s religious too, Nick. It’s not like Fru and her father chose me on a whim.”

“But you’re not Catholic…” Nick sardonically repeats to Judy’s chagrin.

“My parents were pretty orthodox so I got baptized and confirmed along with all my 275 siblings,” she grins mischievously. “This isn’t my first rodeo.”

“Obviously…I’m still a bit peeved that I couldn’t make it to Little Juju’s.”

“You were in the middle of your exam. It couldn’t have been helped.”

Nick shrugs and slows the car when a traffic light turns red.

“Now that I think about it, we could’ve just taken the ZTA there,” Judy mutters, peering out the window and noticing the entrance to an underground station for the Tundra Town Line.

“Ugh, and get the stench of alcohol and borscht all over us? No, thank you.”

Judy chuckles as she glances about the car. Unlike Finnick’s rampaging mess and despite Nick’s tendency to acquire clutter about his person, the sedan was nearly spotless. The seats were worn, floor mats dusty –but overall, _clean._

“Your car is so…

“So _what_ , Carrots?” Nick quips as he accelerates the car through the snow.

“It’s not the kind of car I would imagine you having,” she chuckles, running her paws over the worn and wrinkled pleather seats. “I was expecting a convertible or a retro sports car …and a huge mess.”

“I’m not Finnick,” Nick snorts. “But it _is_ pretty suburban, huh?”

“Yeah…”

“Well, it was my dad’s.”

Judy’s mind runs blank. She looks up towards Nick and softens at the affectionate nostalgia taking hold of his expression as he peers over the steering wheel.

“My aunt held on to it for me but it just sat in her garage all these years. Since she has her own truck. But yeah, every other summer I would tune it up, dust it off, take it for a ride. But it always ended up back in Aunt Tori’s garage under a tarp. Heh, never had the heart to sell it. Neither of us did.”

“Why not?” Judy whimpers.

“And miss out on you drawing a lightning bolt on your eyelid after that speedbump?”

“ _Nick_.” Judy chides somberly.

He exhales, slowly unraveling his inner defenses. “My dad was the best out of all of us. We knew that. He spent so much time and effort to save up enough to even _buy_ the car. We couldn’t just sell it, even after he got EAE. But it worked out, I have a-,”

Judy begins sniffling.

“Are –Are you crying?”

“It’s just – your _dad_.”

“Ah, Jude, don’t. He’d flick me in the ear if he knew I made a bunny cry _twice_. Plus it’ll ruin the makeup you spent the past three hours trying to perfect.”

“Ahhhhh,” Judy whispers while pretending to scream. She rubs underneath her eyes to oust the tears forming, trying to avoid smudging her eyeliner.

“Besides,” Nick continues, “We’re only five minutes away…Iceberg Boulevard, right?”

“Uh-huh,” Judy nods through her sniffles and Nick turns on his blinker before he turns onto the correct street of icy suburbia.

A tall cathedral punctures the sky and Nick spies an open spot in the church’s parking lot.

“Thank you, Nick,” Judy murmurs as Nick rolls the car to stop in the lot.

“Hmmm?” Nick hums, putting the car in park.

“For the ride,” She sincerely places a paw on his forearm. “For telling me about your dad, for-,”

“I’m gonna stop you there, fluff. Your mascara is going to streak. But I guess I should’ve known. Whenever we’re in a moving vehicle alone together, I always end up revealing some deep dark past and you always end up doing that paw on forearm thing.” His tips his head down towards her paw resting on his forearm. He eyes it then gives her his signature suggestive and smug smirk.

Judy instantly retracts her paw and frowns. “I don’t do that all the time,” she retorts defensively as she feels her cheeks twinge with heat underneath her fur.

“Yes, you do.” Nick drones, humored. “And you do it _a lot_. Now that I think about it, _most_ women do it a lot. They think it’s some grand gesture that shows how well they listen and _understand_ you. The “I’m here for you” touch, I call it.” He beams mischievously.

Judy fumes, “I-! I don’t have time for this,” she insists, wrestling her coat over her dress and nearly kicking the door open.

Nick follows with an obnoxiously loud smirk on his muzzle as they rush into the cathedral. His gaze and his smile follow her as she tiptoes straight to the altar and until Raymond leads the fox to a corner of the sanctuary where Kozlov stood with Mr. Big in his large white paws.

In the dim and colored light, beneath the stained glass windows, they exchange the proper greetings. Nick kisses the ring and congratulates him on his grandson’s baptism. Mr. Big nods.

“Nicky,” the small but larger-than-life shrew utters in the pitched rumble of his business voice, “I have something to ask of you.”

“Ah…of course, Mr. Big, anything,” Nick responds, immediately regretting it and wondering if he just agreed to murder someone after being a cop for less than a year.

“I need you to deal with Savage.”

Nick cringes. Maybe he will agree to murder someone. 

* * *

 **Notes** : August 5, Friday – Officer Judith L. Hopps

  * Literally “bright-eyed and bushy tailed” – ~~so cute…do NOT say that out loud~~
  * Optimism despite odds
  * **_Needs to be needed_**
  * Puts needs of others before hers
  * Desire to be a role model, the savior/Good Siberian
  * Compassionate but perhaps lacks empathy (?) – takes a while to see things from other points of view
  * understands certain elements of her relationship with Wilde - probably does not realize the extent of what she means to him, however
  * Oblivious? Or does she not care? 
  * She cares. She cares a lot. 
  * Judy Hopps needs him but she is not in love with Nicholas Wilde. 



_The components that constitute this particular iteration of skinny love arose through particular moments of **necessity**. Codependent A  needed Codependent B to complete a task. The aftermath of completing that task lead to B needing A to fulfill his sense of purpose – simultaneously fulfilling A’s need to be of use to others. Their constant companionship demonstrates the severity of their various needs and how the other fulfills them to a certain extent – manifesting as a connection of **intense mutualism**. Therefore, when either A or B slightly shift away from their dynamic of constant togetherness, both individuals suffer – mentally and emotionally. The ultimate question, however, is whether or not this mutualism is healthy for each individual involved or for their relationship. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you catch all the animal puns? Please notice them. They required a lot of Googling..."Zoogling"? I was tempted to make “Catholic” into “Catolic” instead but I got lazy. Also, I never appreciated how certain authors would demonize Nick’s father when he was intended to be a loving, optimistic figure in Nick’s life – a role which was eventually transferred to Judy’s character (something I want to tease out in later chapters). ANYWAYS, what y'all think?
> 
> Quick thing, experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) is brain inflammation that is found in a lot of different species, especially in foxes.


	3. Right in the moment, this order's tall

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following interactions demonstrate the element of past parental influence on present behaviors, specifically in the interactions of those involved in a skinny love and how they seek out potential partners and view relationships.  
> (1) Wilde talks about his parents.  
> (2) Hopps talks with her parents.  
> (3) Dr. Leong-Scott talks at hers.
> 
> (Nick drinks. Judy stalks. Juniper acts less and less like a psychologist on federal pay-roll everyday.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Some swearing and get ready for a long chapter and lot of Juniper Leong-Scott. And if you hadn’t noticed, her name is based off of "Juniper Lee" – gotta love those obscure cartoons, right?

**Session Three** – “Right in the moment this order's tall"

* * *

Juniper Leong-Scott trudges to elevator of her office building and practically groans as she taps the “up” button.

“Great Shere Khan, I want to go to bed,” she growls, then consumes the rest of her coffee in one arduous swig.

The elevator dings its arrival; the doors open; she drags herself in, the doors close and the small metal cage slowly rises to the fourth floor. Soon enough, she pushes her way through the opaque glass door displaying the painted words “Dr. Capíbrera and Associates” in an ugly yellow serif font.

“Good morning, Lucia,” she yawns as she walks towards the neurotic chinchilla, behind the administrative desk, who jolts at the sight of her.

“Dr. Leong-Scott?”

“Mmm?” The psychologist hums as she clocks in and is about to open the door to her right that leads to the counseling rooms and offices.

“Officer Wilde is here to see you.”

Juniper halts. She slowly turns around to scan across her shoulder into the waiting area, which is usually empty that time of day and out of her typical periphery since she just heads straight to her office in a fatigue-induced fog.

And there, slumping in a horrifying blue fabric upholstered chair clearly manufactured in the nineties, sits Nicholas Wilde right at her twelve. In a green Pawaiian shirt, no less.

He gives a curt wave and hoists himself up from his couch-slouch.

“Officer Wilde, you’re early,” the leopard grumbles as professionally as she can. “By about _**five**_  hours.” She chucks her empty coffee cup into the trash by her feet.

Nick shrugs. “Maybe we can small talk,” he suggests facetiously.

The leopard sighs. “Lucia,” she turns to the small quivering grey creature with a pitying look, “I’m sorry if he frightened you.”

The chinchilla shakes her head nervously and cheeps, “Oh no, I’m just…he doesn’t…this is not exactly protocol.”

“I know. But I will see Officer Wilde in my office right now and he doesn’t need to be charged for the rescheduling. Just make sure that I have the next two hours blocked off.”

The chinchilla nods and scrambles around on her computer.

“Two hours?” Nick questions as he follows his therapist down the hallway to her office.

“I need time to wake up,” Juniper grumbles, then yawns as she unlocks her door, tosses it open, and gestures him in. “May I ask why are you here so early, Officer Wilde?”

“Hmmm? Oh, it’s because I found out you were lying to me,” Nick warbles as he takes his seat on the couch.

“I beg your pardon?” she rejoins, slightly affronted by his sudden accusation.

“Well, your name was anyways.”

“Excuse me?”

“I thought only married folks hyphenated their surnames – which is weird as it is – like, are you really _that_ married – hah, pun – to your last name that you keep it?”

“Officer Wilde, you’re rambling,” Dr. Leong comments as she sets down her messenger bag.

“Right. Anyways, I assumed you were married so imagine how utterly _scandalized_ I was to hear that ZPD’s very own Lieutenant Kai “Stripes” Streifen has a thing for the leopard that counsels cops for a living.”

A beat.

Dr. Leong-Scott releases the loudest, longest groan she possibly could and then says, “Shit.”

* * *

Three days later, during the first few minutes of their last session, now in the late afternoon, Nick still “small talks” about the aforementioned issue.

“Officer Wilde, there are rules against this,” the leopard grumbles into the paw her muzzle rests upon. “Please don’t use up the time we have together to probe me about my love life.”

“So you _do_ admit you have a love life?” Nick wisecracks, “And here I had thought you lived on that annoying swivel chair of yours and only interacted with the neurotic chinchilla who desperately needs a hug – or a Xanax.”

“Keep Lucia out of this.” The therapist glares icily at her patient but then a sly smirk crawls out on her face. “Why are you so interested in me and Lieutenant Streifen anyways?”

Nick chuckles nervously at her sudden change of tone. “Who wouldn’t want to get dirt on the biggest tiger on the force?”

“I doubt that’s the only reason.”

Nick winces at her suspiciously, “What other reason could I possibly have?”

“Tell me about Judy.”

“Why are you making this about Judy?”

“Did I say I was making this about Judy?”

“You’re suggesting it.”

“Officer Wilde.”

“For shit’s sake, June, don’t call me that,” Nick quips through a tense grimace of a smile.

“We’re not friends. I cannot-,”

“Then stop treating me like we were pals in high school,” Nick retorts in tone balancing severe sobriety and suggestive playfulness. “And start treating me like a patient.” He ends with a passive smile.

The leopard balks.

They both sit in silence for a moment until Juniper sighs and mutters, “I do enjoy our sessions together, Nick. But they are just that. _Sessions_. I’m not allowed to be anything more than just your therapist.”

“Good thing this is our last time together as shrink and mental case then, huh?”

Dr. Leong-Scott broils a bit in her chair then abruptly stands.

“Well, I’m probably gonna get fired anyway. Let’s go.”

Nick cocks his head back and grimaces out of confusion. “What?”

“Let’s go. Let’s play hooky. To celebrate me not being your shrink after two hours.”

“I am totally down for this but are you actually about to get fired? …Gasp,” Nick exclaims with dramatic flair. “Is this because of Stripes?” he inquires with a wry grin.

She growls. “I’m planning on quitting within the year but I’m waiting for the right time. And it has _nothing_ to do with Lieutenant Streifen. _Anyways_ , you in?”

“In _what_ , exactly?”

She dips a claw in the direction of the window and schemes aloud, “Out that window, down the fire escape, then we grab the nearest cab, to wherever we want.”

“I’d really like a beer.”

“Great. I’d like a vodka on the rocks. I know a place. No cameras on the way there. Then when I’m tipsy enough, I can tell you what I _actually_ think about you and _Officer_ Hopps.”

“Whoop-de-doo-dah,” Nick sneers drolly but obliging, gets up on the couch, swings open the window and bows theatrically to gesture his psychologist out onto the fire escape.

* * *

**One.**

In the furthest, darkest corner of a preds-only pub, named _Heloise and Abellama_ , Nick and his kinda-therapist sit across from each other in a booth wallowing in dingy yellow light coming from a singular and miniscule ceiling lamp towering above them. While his voice is being camouflaged under the overwhelming cadence of indie guitar music, the fox talks in exaggerated expressions and gestures, then huffs, and chugs practically half of his tall glass of freshly brewed alcoholic gold.

He slams the glass onto the tabletop. “I told Judy about my dad,” Nick seethes and brusquely wipes the foam from off his muzzle.

“That’s pretty big,” Juniper retorts, casually taking a sip from her glass.

“Yeah, I…I never tell mammals about my dad. Sure, my mom – ‘cuz, you know, she isn’t dead. But why did I frickin’ tell her about my dad?”

“Why _don’t_ you tell others about him? I thought you said your father was a good mammal.”

“He _was_. But I only bring him up to prove someone wrong if – _no,_ not if - _when_ they go on and on about how all fox fathers are abusive or never home or never successful. Screw Wes Antlerson and his stupid stop-motion films. What the cuss does he know about foxes? But still, cuss me, I went up and told her about him and the car and …I _always_ do this and she always does that misleading paw on forearm thing and it freaks me out. Ok, here’s a question.” he nearly snarls while making an emphatic chop with his paw. “Why the _fuck_ does it always freak me out?”

Juniper smirks. “You read into it. That’s why you think it’s misleading. All guys who know touchy pretty girls read into things like that.”

“I KNOW! But this is _me._ I never read into things with women. Why the fuck am I starting now?”

“Because it’s Judy Hopps.”

“Because it’s fucking Judy fucking Hopps. Fuck.”

“Are you already wasted? That’s only your second beer.”

“I’m just being verbal.”

“Right.”

“You know, I get my cynicism from my aunt. She was the one who taught me everything I know.”

“Really now?”

“Yep, my dad was all positivity. All sunshine and ‘ _Don’t worry, son, there’s always a silver lining_ ’ and shit,” Nick scoffs. “Do you think that’s why I…pff… _like_ her?”

“Probably.” Another stoic sip.

Uninhibited, Nick continues to yarp and yap, “When I look at her, something inside of me screams because…because I can’t take it anymore.”

Then everything about him abates as he mutters, “Literally, two years ago, I was so fucking **_lost_**. But then this stupid bunny shows up out of nowhere with her patronizing demeanor and ‘can-do!’ attitude-,” he facetiously swings a thumbs-up and plops back into his usual slouch. “And she pulls me out. She finds me and pulls me out of that seemingly eternal _rut_. Made me a cop, for bat’s sake. Made me-,” he releases a curt but affectionate sigh. “She makes me a better fox.”

Juniper smiles.

“Is it so wrong to want _more_ of that?” the fox grumbles into the foam of his drink and then eyes the leopard nonchalantly taking another sip. “And how are you not drunk?” Nick remarks, annoyed. “That’s your – what? Your fifth glass?”

Juniper looks at her glass then back at him. “This is Sprite.”

Nick’s whole face cringes into flat exasperated lines. His eye twitches. “You gotta be kidding me.”

“The first one was vodka, the rest were soda. I have to go back to work after this, you know.”

“But I’m your last patient of the day,” he sneers.

“I still have to pretend that I was there the whole time.”

“Damn, you’re sly.”

“Says the fox,” Juniper chuckles. “But you know, we should probably switch drinks. You need to sober up by the time we get back.” She reaches over to grab his glass, which he pulls away from her.

“Mmmm…don’t think so.” He raises a single claw and wags it. “Not until you tell me about Streifen.”

She snarls, “What is your damage?”

“What’s yours?!” He laughs. “How do you not see how awesome it is for a giant jock-type to turn into a gooey sap when someone even mentions you in front of him? What on earth did you do to the poor guy to make him like this?”

“I batted my eyes and wagged my tail,” she quips flippantly then immediately frowns, “How the heck do I know?”

“When do you guys even inter _act_? He’s in charge of District Three and don’t they go to a different office for counseling?”

“Thank goodness. It’d be worse if I met him on the clock,” Juniper huffs, then explains, “We live in the same apartment complex Downtown. So we share part of the commute together. Make small-talk and what-not. Mondays, he knocks on my door and makes sure I’m up in time to catch the 8:00 train.”

“ _Wow_ ,” Nick articulates as two syllables.

“I know. He cares a _lot_. Sometimes a little _too_ much.”

“Do you like him?” he sniggers with a jocular smolder.

“Tch.”

“Ha.” Nick softens for a quick second then shrugs back into his regular demeanor. “So completely one-sided on his part then?” he asks.

“Never said that,” Juniper smirks and then beckons for Nick’s beer.

“What? Oh, come _on_. You can’t say that and just leave it hanging,” Nick protests as she wrangles the glass out of his paws.

“You are way too invested in this. Makes me worried.” She shoves her soda in his direction.

He falsely gasps. “About what? I’m just looking out for my superior,” he croons as he makes big innocent eyes and places a paw over his heart. “Besides, Stripes is the only lieutenant who genuinely likes me. We maintain a Bogo quote archive on Zoogle Docs.”

Juniper guffaws – chuckling crazily and nearly spilling Nick’s beer. If she’d had been drinking something, she would have spit it out. “ _Please,_ let me see that.”

After a quick promise to share the online document with her, he asks, “Why would you be worried about me prying into your relationship with Streifen? I’m, at the very least, allowed to pry, aren’t I?”

The leopard winces, “Oh gosh – do you really want to hear my shrink-response?”

“Hit me.” He throws his paws into the air. 

She sighs and slides his beer glass towards him. “I’m going to give this back to you then.”

He knits his brows but takes it anyways.

“You’re looking for success stories,” explains Dr. Leong-Scott.

“Huh?”

“Unconsciously,” she gesticulates into the musty pub air and begins her lecture, “We search for experiences, facts, events, and what not to prove or confirm what we already believe or desire. It’s called confirmation bias. So…” She raises her brows in a muted sigh, “…You might just genuinely want me and Streifen to get together but considering everything with the _particular_ object of your affections, I’m afraid you might see us as potential proof that an inter-species relationship could work, which is why you want us to work out.”

Nick is completely and utterly expressionless. After a long moment, he points to the beer and states, “I’m going to finish this. And then I’m going to order another one.”

Juniper purses her lips but then nods and mutters, “I’ll allow it.”

Nick takes a gulp and then sighs, “I’m way in over my head, aren’t I?”

“As your therapist, I would say ‘ _yes’_.”

“As my not-therapist?”

“As your not-therapist, I would say that she is – without a doubt – too good for you and what that means in the end is that _she’s good for you_. I really do think that.” Juniper insists, a glint in her sharp sapphire eyes, “I think you have great taste in women and that you should screw your doubts and fears because she is worth it.”

Nick maintains a smirk but it morphs into a doleful one. “She is, indeed. And then there’s _me_ ,” he snickers bitterly. “A thirty-three year old fox who was stupid enough to fall for a bunny who definitely doesn’t love him back.”

“I just said for you to screw your doubts and fears.”

“It’s not doubt. I _know_ she doesn’t think of me that way. And I _also_ know that if I try to do anything about it I’m going to fuck everything up.”

Juniper blinks and looks askance. “Are you frightened that you’re going to lose her?”

Nick groans in response and then mutters, “But isn’t that usually how these things go? Plus, with the whole predator-prey, fox-bunny thing…I don’t know.”

“I’ve been hearing a lot of ‘ _I don’t know_ ’s from you two.”

“I thought you weren’t allowed to share anything about your other patients?” Nick quips accusingly with a disgruntled but humored smile.

“Like I said, I’m probably going to get fired anyways,” Juniper wryly chuckles, taking another sip of her drink. 

* * *

**Two.**

In the small grey confines of her room, Judy forces a smile at her phone as her parents gab on and on about the recent events in the Hopps home through an already thirty minute long Muzzletime session.

Then, Stu suddenly jumps and says, “Oh, yeah, your mother set Suzie up with Everett Sylva from ten burrows down. And there’ve been whispers of an upcoming engagement among her littermates.”

Judy’s ears perked. “Suzie?” _Her_ _little Suzie?_ Her mind asks herself.

The little Suzie who was, by far, one her favorite sisters? The little Suzie who barely muttered two words on her own without being prodded to? The little Suzie who witnessed Gideon Grey swipe at Judy’s face when they were kids?

The little Suzie who followed her absolutely everywhere – to the point where she said she wanted to be an administrator for whichever precinct Judy would work at? The little Suzie who would go directly to Judy with a scraped knee and teary eyes and to no one else?

 ** _That_** Suzie?

Bonnie went on with an eager little caper across her shoulders, “Yep. I figured since Suzie got accepted to Lagomorpha University, she would need help getting around Deer Brook and with the Sylva boy being a successful chef in the area and all… _well,_ I just put two and two together and…”

“How come Suzie never told me?” Judy questions, a twinge of hurt in her voice.

“Sweetheart, you were just out of the hospital and you know how quiet she is about everything.”

“But not to _me_ ,” Judy mewls, her paw to her chest. Then Judy grows cross, her mind billowing in disarray. And in an attempt to be indifferent, she softly interrogates, “And how come you never set me up with anyone?”

Pause.

Her parents eye each other anxiously.

“Honey, we figured you would be one of those types.”

“Those types?” Judy repeats, her words punctuated with her indignation.

“You know, the ambitious woman type – who goes out and prioritizes her career over having a family,” Bonnie notes. Stu rapidly adds, “Which you have and while we still have some reservations with it, we’re immensely proud of you and we don’t have a problem with it.”

“You _just_ said you had reservations.”

“But we always have. You knew that. But it’s not like we expect _all_ of our children to establish their own burrows with their own kits,” Bonnies articulates. Stu comments further, “Yeah! It’s _completely_ alright that you’re the only one of your litter that isn’t married.”

Judy’s ears droop and her face contorts into a faint pout.

A long moment passes until Stu whispers, “Uh…honey?”

Judy looks back to the screen and whispers, “I gotta go. Thanks for telling me about Suzie.” She pulls her cheeks up into a labored smile and bids them a cursory yet chirpy “I love you.”

They say a quick and somewhat strained farewell and Judy ends the call and gently tosses her phone onto her desk.

“Since when did they think I didn’t want to have a family?” she asks aloud as she slouches in her chair.

“Maybe because you wanted to be Rabbit-Cop your whole life!” Pronk shouts snidely through the wall.

Judy feels her nose twitch in irritation.

“I assumed you were asexual,” Bucky bellowed. “My queer-dar’s pretty spot-on.”

“Thanks, guys,” the rabbit sneers and reaches for the phone again and taps on the phone icon. “Ugh, right.” She winces and groans, “Nick’s at his appointment.”

Slouching back in her chair with a sigh, Judy mutters, “I guess I don’t really have the time. Heck, I’m only free when I’m injured. Plus,” she shrugs, “I might be promoted soon.”

“And you only hang out with that fox,” one her neighbors adds gruffly.

“Yeah, at this rate you’ll turn into one of those recluse workaholics who keeps like fifty pet beetles in her apartment.”

“O- ** _KAY_**!” Judy’s annoyance explodes. “I’m going for a walk.”

“You should stay out! It’s the weekend.” Bucky suggests.

“Go meet someone!” prods Pronk.

Judy sticks out her tongue at the wall despite knowing that they’d never see it and whisks out into the hallway.

The small rabbit strides with steps as heavy as she can make them. 

After a few blocks, Judy reaches a nearby park. Ambling until she finds a bench covered in chipped paint, Judy scrambles up onto it, and plops into a comfortable position. She pulls out her phone, takes a deep breath in and out, and calls her sister.

After the third ring, a soft “Judy?” reverberates through the receiver.

“Hi, Suzie! I…I just wanted to call. See how college life’s treating you, you know.” Then she asks, somewhat sheepishly, “Is this a good time?”

“Yeah, I’m just doing some homework. It’s so sweet of you to call,” Suzie whispers, her voice resembling the cadence of a shy mouse. “College is nice. A little big and crowded but nice.”

Judy then straightforwardly, “Mom told me that you’re seeing someone…is that true?”

“…yeah.”

“How come you never told me?”

“I’m sorry. I was going to but with your injury and everything, I just thought the timing wasn’t best.”

“Sue…this is something I would want to know about,” Judy remarks tenderly.

“But…someone said that you would get jealous and bitter that I had found someone before you.”

“It was Debbie, wasn’t it?” Judy seethes, begrudgingly recalling their incredibly unpleasant cousin who selected girls prettier than herself to torture with gossip and ostracism – like she had done to Judy in high school. “And you listened to her? You _know_ how much of a manipulative jerk she can be. _She_ ’s probably the one jealous that you found someone before _her_.”

“I know…I just. If there was a chance it would upset you, I didn’t want to take it. But now, I’m glad you know. I really want you to meet him. Everett is a real gentlemammal.”

“Well,” Judy smiles, her cheeks dimpling, “If you think he’s great then I have nothing to worry about.”

“How about you?”

“What? Like what’s going on in _my_ love life?”

“Oh, well, if you wanted to talk about that, sure, but I figured you never really wanted to be identified by whatever guy you were dating. I just wanted to know how you were doing after the surgery.”

Judy starts sniffling, “I raised you so well, Sue-Zoo. Gosh, I miss you.”

“I miss you too.”

Judy releases a contended sigh and regales her sister, “My shoulder’s fine and you’re right about not wanting to be known by the guys I have never dated,” she chuckles. “But it does still irk me that everyone expects me to be single for the rest of my life. I mean, I never minded being single. Cleaner that way, you know?”

Her sister hums, “Uh-huh.”

She goes on, “And I do have a career that I want to focus on but I achieved my dream and I would like to think I know how to balance my life enough where I could think about having a family of my own in the future.”

“And it’s not like you aren’t a catch,” the little sister insists over the phone. “You were always super popular. I’m sure you still are now.”

Judy scoffs, “Oh please, popular with who?”

“Well, at least from what I heard, there was Owen Chevoit during elementary, and Josh Coney and Dallas Leveret…”

Judy chortles, “That is _not_ true. It was never anything like that with any of those guys. We were just friends.”

Her sister releases a sweet, sugary giggle. “Mom and Dad were just friends. And Mom was completely oblivious until Dad covered Pop Pop’s porch with tulips. I wouldn’t be surprised if the same happened to you, considering how oblivious you can be too.”

“Wow, you are getting sassier every time I talk to you,” Judy laughs in approval.

“I might be working on it,” Suzie’s voice seemingly smiles through the phone. “But Jude, there really isn’t anyone?”

The rabbit doe unfetters a short hum and notes, plainly, “No one really comes to mind.”

“Well, who’s the first mammal you want to talk to when something happens? The first one you tend to rely on for things?”

“Nick.”

Suzie gasps through the phone, “Really, Judy?” she mutters excitedly.

“Oh, no. Sorry. I just thought I saw Nick,” the policewoman almost puts down her phone as her eyes narrow towards the direction of a particular bushy red tail slipping around the corner of a building on the opposite side of the park. “Sue-Zoo, I’ll call you again soon, ok? I think my partner’s playing hooky.”

“Sure, sis. I’ll talk to you later,” Suzie replies, then cheekily adds, “Go catch him.”

“I always catch him,” she sallies back. “This will actually be the fourteenth time. He is _such_ a slacker. Anyways, I love you, Sue!” Then Judy hangs up, stuffs her phone into her back pants pocket, and quickly bounds towards the direction of the targeted tail.

* * *

As she dodges and ducks and dives, Judy realizes that she could not be completely sure it was even his tail. But she sees that tail nearly everyday. Its color, its movement, and strangely enough, its fluffiness – are all things she is intensely familiar with now. And 87% of her gut said that the tail she saw sulking about belonged to Nicholas P. Wilde.

After scanning several streets, Judy lost track of her mark. She reasons she should head to the precinct and when she does, a cab rushes past her with two familiar blobs of black and orange-red in the back seat.

Judy falters at the sight and quickly attempts to catch up with the taxi, shouting “Excuse me!” and “I’m sorry!” and “Pardon me!” while shuffling past pedestrians – tall, large, and small.

But the taxi disappears into traffic.

A mere two blocks from the City Center Police station.

“This is so weird,” Judy comments to herself, wincing at the dull pain accruing around her shoulder. She massages it for a quick second. “That couldn’t have been…right?”

She shakes her head wildly and psyches herself up to rush to the ZPD. Eventually, she dashes to the front desk of the precinct and practically bellows at Clawhauser, “Hey, did Nick come in recently by any chance?!”

“Oh, hey, Judy,” Clawhauser says through the muffle of his eating his seventh donut (probably of that hour). “No, he’s got the afternoon off, doesn’t he? You alright? You look out of breath.”

“Yeah, ok, thanks, Benji!” Judy shouts as she builds speed to whip past Clawhauser’s desk, through the maze of large imposing figures clad in blue, between legs, bounding off walls and drifting through corners and BANG! The door of the eastern service entrance slams against the wall of the precinct.

She bolts down the alleyway, rounds the corner and rushes down the block, her padded feet thrusting off of the warm pavement and back down until she skids in front of a bland lonely building made of bland tan bricks and bland stone fixtures. She leaps up the steps and forcefully pushes one of the buttons on the buzzer closest to her height.

“Kzzzzzz…Dr. Capíbrera and Associates,” the intercom whispers through static.

Half-panting and half-anxious, Judy starts mumbling, “Hi, um, Officer Judy Hopps? I’m here – well, I was here the other day but, hmmm. So I’m here _now -,”_ she is gesturing with her hands back and forth, “because I…I’m here to pick up my partner, Officer Nick Wilde!” she eventually shouts with mustered confidence.

“Oh, yes, please come in.”

The locking mechanism buzzes and Judy heaves open the heavy door, slips in behind it, and careens towards the elevator. Within a heartbeat, she notices that the number above the elevator reads “7” and figures, hey, it’s only four floors for her and blurs past the elevator bank, right into the door leading to the stairwell.

After exactly 49 seconds, Judy stands before a nerve-wrecked, tiny, twitching chinchilla in red horn-rimmed glasses.

“Is he done?” Judy pants.

“I-I…um. He’s in with-,”

“Dr. Leong-Scott.”

“Yes, she blocked out the usual two-hour time slot for him so they should be-,”

“Two HOURS!?”

The chinchilla squeaks, dropping her small pencil.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” Judy moans remorsefully, reaching over the desk and grabbing the secretary’s pencil for her. “I didn’t mean to shout…I just-

“Carrots – well, I’ll be,” Nick’s teasing voice sounds out from her right.

“Nick!” Judy shouts as she turns to face him, leaning redolently against the doorframe of the entrance to the long winding hallways of the counseling rooms. Right in front of a stoic Dr. Leong. Judy whispers, “You’re…here.”

Judy finds herself frowning, just slightly.

“Well, not that I’m one to share that I’m seeing a shrink on a regular basis but I’m pretty sure I told you that I had an appointment.”

“Seeing, huh?” she whimpers under her breath.

“Carrots?” Nick asks, trying to get her attention.

“Hmm?”

“I said, isn’t that why you’re here?”

“Oh…uh. Yes! Yes. That is why I am here.”

“Really? To be my escort home? If I recall, _you’re_ the small injured bunny. And you look like hell. Did you run a 5K or something just now?”

“I just…” She looks down at her sweaty dry-fit shirt and yoga pants. Then back at Nick. “I ran here.”

He scoffs, “What would possess you to do that?”

“I wanted to see you,” she innocently replies.

Nick blinks, slightly disarmed, until she continues to explain how her parents called and she wanted to complain to someone.

“Sounds about right,” he notes dismissively with a smile.

“Do you guys want a room?” Dr. Leong-Scott asks, suggestively.

Lucia looks absolutely appalled and Nick looks like might murder her. Judy just looks confused. 

“Dr. Leong!” the chinchilla squeaks, her glasses rattling incessantly. Dr. Leong-Scott just grins.

* * *

**Three.**

The leopard sighs as she looks over her notes while riding the elevator down to start her commute home - at the same time most other mammals have their dinner with their families.

She strides out into the lobby of the office building, still immersed in her scribbles and stroking her paw over her black and grey spotted fur with a sigh.

“Miss Leong-Scott.”

She inhales sharply as she looks up to see the imposing figure of the Chief of Police, standing firmly but awkwardly before the elevator doors, dressed in his blue regalia.

“Commissioner Bogo, is there something I can help you with?” she murmurs, then shuffles her notepad into her messenger bag.

“I would like to speak to you,” he says in throaty and hoarse articulation.

She pauses then gestures above her. “The office is already locked up. But there’s a coffee shop down the block. Would you like to speak there?”

Immediately, the buffalo says, “No.”

The leopard frowns, tempted to suck at her teeth, then mutters, “There’s an atrium further into the building connected to the northern entrance on the other side…with a few chairs. No one really goes there.”

He nods curtly. She turns and leads him to the aforementioned area.

A long and dreadful silence rises between them as they stalk over the carpet and through the narrow halls, its bland tan walls adorned with generic landscape paintings. When they finally sit in two chairs facing each other, Bogo promptly states, “You haven’t turned in an official report concerning Officer Hopps.”

“I know. I’m still drafting it.”

“It didn’t take you this long for Officer Wilde’s,” he comments.

“I am aware. I am still going over her examination results and formulating a report for her for our records. You’ll have it by tomorrow morning.”

Then, “Is there anything going on between you and Lieutenant Streifen?”

Dr. Leong grimaces and stammers, albeit with fierce timbre, “Nothing like what you’re insinuating. We just have the same commute.”

“Does he know about us?”

“No.”

“This might be a good opportunity for you to find another job.”

“You’re the one who got me this gig in the first place,” she seethes.

“And I’ve regretted that. You’re still too close to everything.”

“You didn’t want me to be a cop and now you don’t even want me anywhere near the precinct?”

He narrows his eyes and scolds, “Is that really too much to ask?”

“Yes. Why don’t you want me to be a part of –ugh! You can be so _immensely_ insufferable - did you know that?” She bares her teeth as she simmers. “You try to come off as this gruff bulky buffalo that doesn’t care about anything when you actually care _too_ much and **_that_** is your problem. You have absolutely no right to pry into my social life. Because you insist that it doesn't concern you.”

“If it concerns my student and my men then it _bloody_ well does.”

“Student? Is that how you describe me to other people? If you insist on labelling me as a practical stranger, why don't you treat me like such?" Her voice shakes, slightly, as her bitterness outpours in her words. "And what’s wrong with Striefen, anyways? He’s a good officer.”

Through his building anger, he falters out, “He’s too brash.”

“Oh, so he’s too much like you?” she rejoins passively, then stands abruptly and turns to leave.

“June,” Bogo shouts in reprimanding tones. His hooves dig into the wooden armrests.

“Stop treating me like your child whenever it suits you,” she whispers through clenched fangs. “And just so you know, I received a job offer at a Family Therapy Clinic off of Aardwolf and 75th. But I turned it down because I figured it would be hypocritical of me to help other mammals solely with their familial issues when I can’t even deal with the issues I have with the buffalo who raised me.”

With that, Juniper rushes out of the back exit and into the street, repressing her tears and pounding anger with a grimace.

* * *

 

**_Dr. Capíbrera and Associates_ **

**6954 Main St., Suite 405**

**Savanna Ctrl, Zootopia 10010**

**Behavioral and Mental Health Patient Report – CONFIDENTIAL**

PATIENT: Officer Nicholas Wilde (#6425)

PSYCHOLOGIST/EVALUATOR: Dr. Juniper Leong-Scott, PsyD. 

DIAGNOSIS:

  * Dysthymia
  * Co-dependency
  * ~~IS Attraction~~



BEHAVIORAL and MENTAL HEALTH OBSERVATIONS:

Patient struggles with **dysthymia** , as determined by slight depressive symptoms, which developed as a result of several instances of trauma – big and small – throughout his life. (Specific examples include rejection from the Ranger Scouts at 8 y.o. and his father’s death at 10 y.o.). These traumas prodded him to simultaneously seek acceptance and also be wary of situations that seemingly provide acceptance.

Therefore, despite externally displaying extroverted characteristics and regularly taking risks, the patient has the tendency to internalize his pain and struggles and withdraws away from circumstances and opportunities that could potentially lead to failure. This proclivity to pull away manifests in his friendships and romantic relationships. The patient finds trusting others with personal information a difficult task and will usually feel unheard and dissatisfied. Occasionally, he will share his feelings but only when depending on the circumstances. Despite the patient’s usual process of internalizing certain pains and emotional injuries, he will still easily confront others when he feels wronged. However, more often than not, he will try to avoid conflict and emotionally taxing situations.

The characteristics correlate with several symptoms of **co-dependency**. He heavily relies on certain individuals in his immediate social and familial circle to give him purpose, motivation, and happiness. Previous romantic relationships ended on account of his habitual behavioral extremes – one extreme being over-attentiveness to and over-dependence on his significant others, the other extreme being completely closed off from them due to premature expectations of disappointment. The patient uses dry humor and cynicism to as mechanisms for nearly all social interactions to disguise his low self-esteem and his proneness to excessively desire intimacy.

LEVEL OF RECOMMENDED CARE:

Further regular sessions with a counselor and healthy diet and exercise are recommended instead of immediate and heavy reliance on medication.

* * *

 **Notes:** August 20, Saturday – Officer Nicholas Wilde

  * Afraid to take risks but more than willing when justification for said risk arises – for example, Judy’s birthday is coming up
  * Too invested in other interspecies relationships to convince himself that his own situation could possibly work
  * Sadder than he ever lets on to others
  * Stronger than he thinks himself to be – Judy allows him to realize that strength but he needs to do this on his own
  * Desperately wants intimacy but is so afraid of being let down…
  * …
  * ~~What can I do?~~



_For Codependent A, her familial and socio-psychological background instilled her with certain conceptions of her potential future family. Since she comes from a large family that values traditional values of marriage and having multiple children, A unconsciously desires a similar situation for herself. As she typically relies on her family and had witnessed her parents relying on one another, she searches for similar qualities in prospective mates – one that can be relied on, exert care towards her, anticipate and fulfill her needs, and rely on her._

_Similarly, Codependent B desires to emulate his father and the life his father aspired to – a successful job, a loving wife, - and seeks out potential partners among mammals that most resemble family members in behavior and worldview._

_However, when his father passed, B attempted to depart from any connection his father and the values his father held. Since his father’s vision of life was not achieved, B concluded that that particular vision of life could not be achieved. However, when A and B began their mutualistic relationship, B revisited those values and behaviors and began demonstrating interest in other similar situations and relationships to determine potential success with their own by comparison._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WHOA. Super long chapter. Thank you for all the encouragement and comments! I'm hoping to respond to them within the week. 
> 
> A few explanations:  
> (1) "Streifen" is German for stripes...again, because I am so damn clever. But tigers are quite solitary mammals with multiple mates depending on how their individual territories overlap, which is unique since most other mammals are monogamous. Also, female leopard and male tiger mixes are the most rare cat hybrids so I thought it would be cool for Nick and Judy's therapist to be caught up in something like that. Also, the reason why Nick came so early was because he couldn't wait to incite a rise out of Dr. L-S. A headcanon of mine is that Nick is actually a horrid gossip.  
> (2) Heloise and Abelard were famous star-crossed lovers marred by unrequited love, overwhelming lust, physical separation, and staunch idiosyncratic views on relationships. So, the pub is named after them.  
> (3) I included a little Wes Anderson reference to "Fantastic Mr. Fox" - which is a film I actually really like and I saw it just a few days ago as I was outlining this chapter out.  
> (4) Debbie was a girl who absolutely hated my guts in middle school and made everyone believe that I thought myself too pretty and therefore was too haughty for the company of anyone else. Now I shall immortalize her as a b*tch in this obscure piece of fanfiction.  
> (5) The rabbit boys who had a crush on Judy are named Josh and Dallas because Ginnifer Goodwin’s husband is Josh Dallas :3  
> (6) DID YOU NOTICE THAT THE FIRST PERSON SHE WANTS TO TALK TO ABOUT HER PARENTS IS NICK!? DID YOU SEE HOW I DID THAT ON PURPOSE!? AAAAUUUUGGGHHH.  
> (7) Bogo’s relationship with Dr. L-S is based off of the relationship between Idris Elba’s character with his daughter-figure (played by Rinko Kikuchi) in Pacific Rim – and while awfully dramatic, I wanted to create tension between the psychologist and the police department and slowly show how similar she actually is to Nick and to Judy despite playing the role of the observer. And well, an OC wouldn't be an OC without a whole dramatic backstory that the author spent way too long developing, right? The Shere Khan comment at the beginning was another nod to Elba's work too.
> 
> Also, just like Nick and other co-dependents, my sense of self-worth thrives off of compliments - so please enable me with kudos and comments! :D


	4. Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following interactions demonstrate the events that eventually lead to the crucible of a skinny love relationship, specifically the effect of external influence and factors - mostly manifesting in the form of gossip, prodding and the appearance of rivals. The final climactic point of a skinny love comes forth when facades fade away and expectations overpower.

**Session Four** – “Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer”

* * *

In the pitch black of an early September morning, a marimba ringtone sounds off. A groan. Comforters shuffling. A click then light.

Juniper Leong-Scott squints at the bright screen of her phone and scoffs at the time and the name of the number calling.

She slides her padded finger across the screen to accept the call and puts the device up to her ear.

Juniper rasps out, “Mmmmm? Nick? It’s three in the morning.”

Miles away, in the neon aesthetic pandemonium of Sahara Square nightlife, on a dingy bench, Nicholas Wilde sits with his phone against his long flat ear.

He jolts at muffled response, not necessarily expecting it. Nick begins to talk rapidly, “I know. I’m sorry but I just did something and I think the wisest thing for me to do is to talk to you first and…"

Then Nick hears a “Who is it?” faint in the background but not faint enough since he recognizes the low grumble and cadence of the voice.

“Oh my gosh,” Nick utters. “Is that…Stripes?”

Immediately, “No.”

“Hey, you talking to Wilde?” the voice - now obviously belonging to Lieutenant Streifen - asks.

“No.” Juniper seethes again insistently to both parties, then quickly, "Go back to sleep.”

“HO-LEE. SHIT-beetles. June, did you spend the night with Streifen?!”

“Nick, if you don’t shut up, I will murder you,” she growls as she flings her blanket off her body.

Streifen chuckles through his fatigue, propping himself up in the bed, “Ha, you say that all-oomph!” She punches him and orders him to go back to sleep then she stalks out into her kitchen.

With a frustrated huff, she sits at her breakfast bar in the dark of early morning and returns her attention to her phone.

“Ok, are you alright? Are you having any thoughts about-.”

“No, no,” Nick immediately states, interrupting her. “It’s not one of those calls, I…” he pauses then mumbles something incoherently.

“Nick?”

He inhales and exhales. “I almost slept with Judy.”

“…”

“…”

“WHAT?”

“I almost sle-,”

“I know what you said. Oh my gosh.” She releases a long-winded laugh of absolute shock. “That’s great!” she exclaims at a whisper and is about to go on until Nick sighs - or rather, groans.

Juniper furrows her brows. “What’s wrong? Was it the biology of it? Isn’t-,”

“No!” Nick insists, thankful that she couldn’t see his bright red blush through the phone. “It…argh.”

“Nick?”

“It was a mistake. So…” he sighs indignantly.

"A mistake?”

“Yeah.”

Juniper grimaces. “Nick, this is what you wanted. Wasn’t it?”

“I… Yes…but…no…I,” he slumps against back of the bench. “Not like this. I didn’t want it to be like this. So I left.”

“You _left_? Just right in the middle of it, you just left?”

“No, we...We were meeting with her sister to celebrate her birthday and I got all of this ready then I ran into an old girlfriend and this rabbit I knew was trying to touch her and she invited me into her room to watch a movie and one thing led to another and…” Another long sigh and a groan. “I’m on a bench right outside.”

“So you left.”

“Yes.”

“Why? You should go back inside, Nick. You need to talk to her.”

“I can’t. I …I don’t know what to say. I don’t know how to act. I don’t even want to know what she’s thinking or doing right now because I know it’ll just ruin me.”

June whispers quietly, “You probably just ruined her evening.”

“I wasn’t trying to. I-,” he sighs bitterly and rubs his paw over his muzzle, “I wanted it to be perfect.”

* * *

* * *

Ten hours earlier, Judy eyes her partner suspiciously as Nick gleefully sets a small mint-colored tote on top of her desk.

She purses her lips into a thin and apprehensive line. She was already leery of Nick’s orders to stay behind for a few minutes in her cubicle before heading to her apartment to get ready to meet her sister and her boyfriend for dinner. So seeing a bag - full of her stuff, she reasons – on her desk is, you know, freaking her out…just a bit.

“What’s this?” she asks him, pointing at the bag warily.

“This is a Targoat overnight bag,” he states while leaning his elbow and forearm across the zipper of the valise and then patting it contently.

“I know. It’s _my_ overnight bag.” Judy grumbles snidely.

“Yep, sure is, and inside are your carrots pj’s - which are hilarious by the way, your makeup bag – I think, and I just assumed they’ll just give you toiletries so didn’t bother with that-.”

“Nick…what’s going on? When, why and how did you get all of this?” 

Nick pulls out her apartment key from his chest pocket and waves it in front of her. “I snuck in during my lunch break. You really need to be more careful with your valuables when you’re working with an ex-con,” he chides playfully as he twirls the key-ring on his finger.

“You are _not_ an ex-con…” She emphasizes as she reaches over the table with the entirety of her body and snatches her key back emphatically. “If you’re _still_ a conman, you sly fox. How did you even swipe this?”

“Magic,” he quips with scenario-appropriate jazz-hands. Then he slides the bag over to her.

Judy scoffs as she forces her apartment key back into a pouch on her utility belt. “What’s all of this for anyways?”

“Your birthday-slash-promotion gift.”

Judy’s mouth falls agape. “How’d you even know?” She swerves in her swivel chair to scan her desk calendar and double-checks that the month of September was unmarked of any indication of any personal dates.

As much as she secretly enjoys being the center of deserved attention, Judy never made a big deal over her birthday. Being one of her litter of the many litters in her family, birthdays were hardly of any individual importance. She was not expecting anything for that weekend other than a phone call from her parents and obligatory Furbook messages from her siblings and high school friends. Also, she was only just informed of her promotion that morning at roll call.

This fox moves prodigiously fast.

“How did you know it was my birthday?” she repeats in absolute dumbfounded astonishment.

“Your sister called me.” He shrugs then hands her a small thin paper packet. “Your card for tonight."

She takes it gingerly, still in shock, and slips the silver plastic card out from the packet and practically gawks. “You got me a hotel room? Is …Is this at the Oasis!?"

“Yep, two nights in a single suite just for you. I already spoke with your creepy landlady and arranged for your _complimentary_ delousing to be tonight too. I still don’t understand why you moved back into that literal hole in the wall.”

Judy is still exchanging astonished glances between the hotel card in her paws and the fox’s complacent face.

Nick smirks, _utterly_ pleased by her shock, then continues, “And your sister lied about meeting you at the _BugBurga_ at Central. Because you’re actually meeting her and her boytoy at the _Abreuvoir_ of the Oasis at 7:00 for dinner and immediately after, you get to go and enjoy a nice bedroom all to yourself for once in your life.” 

“Nick…”

His smirk just grows.

Judy looks up at him, card still gripped in her paws. “I don’t even know what to say.” 

“Well, I’m going to say 'Congrats on your promotion, Carrots.’ Then you can say ’thank you’.”

She smirks facetiously. 

"Should we practice that? _Congrats on your promotion, Carrots._ Then you go…” 

“I love you.” 

Nick balks and she tackles him with a large hug. “Gosh, I love you,” she repeats, which makes Nick feel like a 4 year old with the flu. "Thank you so much, Nick. I really cannot begin to describe how grateful I am right now.”

“Geez, you never disappoint, huh?”

She beams with the beauty of all creation at him and all he can do is blink and swallow. But, within a millisecond, he has to smile warmly back.

Then her eyes and ears perk as she nearly shouts, pleadingly, “Come to dinner with me. You were the one who put this all together and I cannot think of anyone else to spend the night with.”

“You sure move fast,” he awkwardly chuckles, “And this was all your sister’s idea. She’s the one chipping in for most of it.”

“You are an awful liar.”

“No, I’m not,” he scoffs, and slithers out of her embrace, hoping that his lifetime of deceiving people gave him the ability to disguise how unnerved he actually is. “Besides, Jude, this is the first time you’re meeting your sister and her boyfriend in the city. I’d be fourth-wheeling.” 

“But then she’ll get to actually meet _you_ ,” Judy insists. 

“Eh, it’d be awkward. Plus, I’d be the only fox with three rabbits.”

Then she jeers as she put her paws on her hips, “Is it my birthday? Why, _yes_ , yes, it is.” 

He chortles, “Wow, so needy even after _all_ of this.” 

“Nick!” She punches him.

“Ow!” he simmers as he rubs the specific area of his right limb that Judy always socks him in her excitement. “Gosh. You actually punch really hard. And it is always in the same spot. You gotta stop doing that. I am literally losing fur here.”

Judy dismisses him with a chuckle then says, “Nick…please?” She looks up at him with large, purposefully doleful and pleading eyes.

“Mmmkay, no.” He hates when she does that. It makes his insides churn. He blankets his paw over her face.

“But, _Nico_ ,” she whines while pushing his paw away and bats her eyelashes.

His stomach twists into his diaphragm.

“I really should not have told you that my mom had Furbook,” Nick snaps.

“It’s such a cute name, though.”

“Sure, Jude the Dude.”

She kicks him this time. In the stomach.

Nick groans and keels over dramatically, flinging his limbs about and sighing gratuitously, “Oh, the pain. The mammality.”

“You always have to put on a show,” Judy sneers, knowing that she did not really hurt him.

“Eh, old habits die hard,” he jokes with a shrug, helping himself up. Then, as he dusts himself off, he mutters, “But I _am_ actually busy tonight so I really can’t make it, Bub.”

Judy releases a short pout – her nose and lips scrunching together to demonstrate how histrionically upset she is.

Nick snickers at the sight and his balmy smile colonizes his face. He gazes at her affectionately. “You’re still going to have an awesome time without me. Because ol’ Nick here made sure of it,” he chuckles and ruffles the top of her head, right in between the ears. “So go crazy, Carrots. It’s on me.” 

* * *

Judy stands in line at the reception desk in the hotel lobby, her thoughts circling in clouds and cubes. It was all very confusing.

While she took the first few seconds of entering the grand and brightly lit establishment to take in the absolute splendor, she finds herself distracted by the singular thought of why the top of her head still burns. She gingerly places her own paw over the area of her forehead where Nick had ruffled her fur.

“I can help the next mammal in line,” a voice sounds before her, startling her out of her haze. She approaches a smartly dressed female mongoose at the counter.

“Welcome to _The Oasis_ ,” the mongoose, whose nametag stated that her name is ‘Tikki’, asserts politely. “Are you here to check in?”

“Yes,” Judy chirps. “ _Hi_ ,” she sings as she drags herself and her bag closer to the desk. Then Judy wags her head, realizing her mistake. “Ummm, actually, I guess _no_? I already have a card but I don’t actually know which room I’m in. So I think I might be already checked in…I’m not sure.”

“May I have the card, and your name, please?”

“Sure,” Judy fumbles about and finally pulls the small silver card from her back pocket and hands it over. “And my name is Judy Hopps.”

The mongoose fiddles about on the computer built into the counter, makes a few clicks and looks up. “Yes, here you are. You and your boyfriend are in Suite 8014.”

“Oh, he’s not my boyfriend,” Judy instantly replies, waving her paw about. “He…he just reserved the room for me.”

A beat.

Then the receptionist beams at the rabbit, somewhat mischievously (which throws Judy off more than the boyfriend assumption does). “Of course, Miss,” she says. “Would you like someone to take your bag up to your room?”

“Oh, no, I’m fine. I can take it up myself. But could you tell me where the …Abree- the restaurant is?” she struggles out in a nervous giggle.

“The Oasis boasts _three_ restaurants – the _Palmier_ includes our lounge and bar which you passed on your way in. Over there,” the receptionist gestures behind Judy to a swanky waiting area with a bar. “ _Over the_ _Garden Wall_ is our outdoor garden restaurant, which overlooks the pools, and the _Abreuvoir_ is our Mouselin star-rated revolving restaurant that sits at the top floor of the establishment.”

“That’s the one. Thank you,” she chirps.

“Not at all,” the mongoose smiles. “Enjoy your stay, Miss Hopps. Oh, and…” she leans in, over the counter and whispers, “There is a specific dress code for the _Abreuvoir_. Just F.Y.I.”

“Oh, ok,” Judy whispers back, looking down at her casual wear and getting the well-meaning hint. “Thank you.”

The mongoose nods and Judy bounds off towards the elevator bank sitting behind the magnificent tree of green and gold that made up the reception area.

As Judy rides up the eighty floors it takes to get to her room, she is hit with wave after wave of awe and amazement. A wave of wonder crashes over her as she witnesses the spectacular view the elevator provides of Sahara Square blossoming into its world-famous night scene, with its fantastic lights of every color against the dark blue hues of eventide. Another wave folds over her as she inspects the incredible detail of the décor of every inch of the hotel – the embossed buttons on the elevator, the golden fixtures lining the halls and the immense beauty of her little suite itself.

Finally, the absolutely staggering wave, which overpowers all else, is the constant remembrance of the fact that Nick managed to do all of this for her.

“How much did this cost him?” she asks herself as she scans her suite.

Three consecutive knock sounds from the door and she scurries across the moss carpet to un-bolt the door and fling it open.

A slightly elderly badger bellhop stands before her with a garment bag in his small paws.

“Miss Hopps?”

“Yes?” Judy returns after a slight jolt, somewhat nonplussed by the constant surprises.

“This was asked to be sent to you,”

“Thank you,” she mutters, in perpetual shock, as she takes the garment bag from him.

The badger nods and waddles away. Judy, now even more surprised, calls after him and shouts, “What about your tip?”

The bellhop peers over his shoulder and smirks, “If Nick Wilde asks for a favor, you don’t say ‘no’.”

“What the fur…” Judy whimpers, as she watches the bellhop disappear around the bend.

She looks at the garment bag and closes the door behind her. Attached to the hanger is a small card, which reads: 

> _In case of severe wrinkles, call the nearest senior center. LOL ok but seriously, I asked for them to iron it before they sent it to you but if it_ _’_ _s still wrinkled, just ring the Concierge and ask for Gordon, he_ _’_ _ll take care of everything. You need to be subtler about potential gifts, by the way. You spent way too much time looking at this on your phone._
> 
> _You know you love me :)_

Judy’s heart starts beating incessantly. She rushes to the four-poster bed, sets the garment bag upon it, and unzips it.

She gasps.

Lying in the bag is a little black dress of the most sumptuous ivory satin and lace.

It is the dress she could not bring herself to splurge on from _BDGR Max Azria_. The _two hundred dollar_ dress she had her eye on for the past month, waiting for the price to go down even just a few dollars to justify her potentially buying it.

But no, Nick f*cking Wilde had to buy it for her.

As she stares at the dress, a singular thought materializes and coalesces. This whole time she had been wondering how Nick had managed to accomplish all of this. Now, she simply thinks of the **_why_**.

* * *

An hour later, Judy secretly admires her profile in the reflective metal of the elevator doors. She has to admit that – objectively – she looks quite stunning. The little black dress hugs her figure in a slimming yet still modest fashion. An elderly female squirrel had complimented her earlier, which carved an iridescent smile upon her cheeks.

When the elevator reaches the 100th floor with a glorified ding, she steps out and instantly finds her sister waiting right outside the entrance to the restaurant.

“Judy!” Suzie exclaims at her usual whisper and they wrap each other in their arms in an eager embrace.

“Oh, Sue-Zoo,” Judy sighs and as they separate. She absorbs the sight of her sister in an adorable pink one-piece dress and gleefully squeals, “You look amazing.”

“So do you,” Suzie comments in her typical subdued excitement, “Is this dress new? You really look incredible, Judy,”

“Thanks, it’s a birthday present.”

“From Nick?”

“Yeah…strangely enough,” Judy chuckles.

Suzie just smiles all-knowingly then pulls Judy aside to a lanky but smartly dressed rabbit of brown fur with a kind face. And Judy’s heart sighs in relief and gratitude at the instant recognition of his sweet temperament. She just knew that he would take good care of her sister – he even wore a tie that matched the color of Suzie’s dress.

“Judy,” Suzie says demurely, as she shyly takes his side and timidly slips her arm about his elbow. “This is Everett.”

“It’s so great to finally meet you, Everett.” Judy says.

“Likewise, Officer Hopps. I am so honored to finally meet you.” He articulates in a soft yet confidently polite cadence as he shakes her paw. “I have heard so much about you from Suzie and from, frankly, the world. Everyone in the Tri-Burrows speaks highly of you.”

“Oh gosh,” Judy scoffs, “Don’t trust any of those accounts – especially Suzie’s – I’m sure she’s incredibly biased.”

“Of course,” Suzie retorts quietly, “You’re the one who practically raised me.”

“Exactly,” Judy chimes gleefully.

They continue small talk for another minute then approach the host, a stiff-looking ungulate, with a stern expression.

“Good evening, we have a reservation under Hopps and Sylva,” Everett reports.

The antelope peers down at Everett and then at the reservation book. “Oh yes, follow me please.” 

He guides them through the darkened maze of the sleek black walls and silver adornments until finally leading them to a sectioned off room with a small table for four.

“We get a private room?” Judy whisper-screams as they enter.

“We wanted to make this a special night,” Everett comments as he pulls out a chair for Suzie across from Judy and the door.

“And, Everett just got hired as a chef here so they were able to pull a few strings."

“They?” Judy asks as she is about to sit down.

“' _They_ ' meaning me, Carrots,” Nick’s voice laughs from behind her. She whisks around in a flurry to see Nicolas Wilde - dressed to the nines, in an actually well fitting three-piece black silk suit. 

The circles and cubes of her muddled thoughts became more circular and cubed.

“You lied to me,” is all she can muster. 

“Not the first time and it won’t be the last, Carrots. Happy Birthday.” He gently pushes her ears back and pecks her on the forehead. Judy’s mind undergoes a cosmic explosion and all the previous waves of awe, shock, and whatever suddenly tsunami into each other.

“Nick!” Suzie exclaims, getting up and rushing over to give him a hug – which also shocks Judy, since her sister is never so externally excited or physical.

Suzie smiles up at Nick after the brief hug. “It’s great to finally see you in person.”

Nick beams down with the warmth of a setting sun. He says, “Likewise, Suzie.” Then looks to Everett with his signature smirk, “’Sup, _Sylvia._ ”

Everett chuckles, not taking offense to the nickname and shakes the fox’s paw. “Mr. Wilde, I really can’t thank you enough for arranging all of this.”

“Arranging all of what?” Judy sputters, her head no longer in as many shambles as it was a second ago.

“He’s the one who connected Everett to the head chef here,” Suzie comments.

“Chef Remy is a culinary genius and it really is such a great opportunity.”

Nick shrugs. “I do what I can.”

“I do not believe this,” Judy grumbles, “What kind of connections do you have?”

Nick eyes her and grins mischievously, “You really should know by now that I literally do know everyone, Jude the Dude.”

“Oh, _whatever_ , Brother Bloom.”

They exchange a few more barbs and Everett leans over to Suzie and whispers, “Are they always like this?”

“I’ve never seen them together but I always imagined it to be like this. Isn’t it cute?”

They all finally got to sitting down and Nick kept fooling around and holding the menu above Judy’s head as she waved around trying to get at it. Suzie giggled. Everett blushed. Finally, Judy just punched Nick in the shoulder and he learned.

After admiring the cool sounding items, Judy orders the artichoke and tomato salad in a balsamic vinegar sauce. Suzie asks for the peach chutney bruschetta, through Everett’s recommendation. Everett himself orders bourbon poached pear salad. Nick Wilde gets a pan-seared beetle croquette.

They all engage in lively and smooth chatter – with Nick and Judy talking the most – until their food arrives.

“Doesn’t this look fantastic?” Judy squeals.

Nick says, “No?”

“No?” Judy repeats in confusion as she turns to Nick. Then she notices that he and her sister and Everett had turned their attention to the entrance of their private room.

When she veers back around, she sees a gorgeous arctic fox in a chef’s uniform, who has been locking eyes with Nick, both of them sharing an uneasy and apprehensive gaze.

“Nick? Wow,” the arctic fox chuckles lightly and turns to Everett, “This explains a lot. Hi, Everett Sylva? I’m Noel Reynard, the sous-chef. Chef Remy told me that you would be dining in this evening and I wanted to introduce myself.” She extends her paw out to him. “I am also the one who cooked your meal.”

“It’s a honor, Miss Reynard. Thank you.” Everett eagerly but genteelly takes her paw and shakes it.

“Mrs.” Nick adds, brusquely. He glances up to her with a rigid and sardonic smile. “She used to go by Noel _Gusteau_. So much for keeping your professional name,” he quips at her.

Noel returns the smile with one just as indignantly polite as his. “I used to go by Gustaeu professionally. But to distinguish myself from my father’s name, I decided to go by Reynard.”

Nick sucks his teeth.

Mrs. Reynard huffs indignantly. “May we talk, outside? Mr. Wilde?”

He shoves himself up with a sarcastic sigh, “Might as well, since I lost my appetite.” He stalks out of the room, passing arctic fox as she closes her eyes and exhales.

She smiles at the rabbits. “We’ll be just a moment. Please enjoy your meal.” She stalks out after him.

The small forest creatures sit in the cold silence until Judy says, “What the fur was that?”

Out in the hallway, Noel has to suppress every desire to shove Nick into the potted plant right behind them.

“Why are you acting like you’re surprised that I’m here?” she seethes at him in a whisper. “You do realize that the _only_ reason why you know Remy is because you knew me?”

“I thought you were still in Pelage. You know, since I hadn't seen or heard from you in what? Five - six years?"

"Well, I obviously came back."

"When?" Then Nick shakes his head and laughs bitterly, "Actually...When did you get married to Todd?” He seethes, “It just clicked. Todd f*cking Reynard. Geez. You know, here I thought you couldn’t do much worse than me but hey, way to prove me wrong, Noe.”

She rolls her eyes, “And here I had hoped you’d grow up after becoming a boy in blue. But it looks like you just joined the ranks of assholes who are just like you.”

“Hey, that rabbit in there is the best mammal I f*cking know and she’s a cop.”

At that, Noel deflates into an expression of soft surprise – of almost placated surprise.

At that, Nick falters in a series of rapid blinks.

“I know,” Noel mutters. “She…Raymond told me about her – about you and her. I was…I was surprised. I honestly didn’t know that she and Everett were connected-,”

“He’s her sister’s boyfriend and well, yeah…”

Noel releases a light and awkward chuckle, “You got sucked in, huh? Ray did mention that you were getting in a little over your head.”

“Geez…Wait. Oh, sh*t, are you _his_ current handler?”

Noel grimaces, “No f*cking way, you serious? You’re the-? Why does Big always do this? I need to know this shit. I can’t…gah. He said they were bringing in someone from the old team.”

“Well, it’s not like Big does the whole dossier thing. That was all Basil.”

“Does she know?” Noel asks.

“What do you mean?”

“About you being – you know,”

“Why would I bother her about something that happened almost a decade ago?”

“Then why are you here?”

Nick grumbles, “Big called in a favor. I kinda did owe him big-time for the skunk butt rug.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Noel chortles.

“How about you? Big sous-chef of a hotel restaurant. God, it’s a small world.”

“Heh, can say that again. I’m fine. Obviously I’m still connected with the family. I mean, I can never get away from it – you know. It’s what I get for having a mother who’s capo to Mr. Big.”

“How is Mamam?”

Noel sighs, arduously, running her paw through her fur. “She’s fine. Still badgering me about kits. God, I got married so that she’d stop, you know?”

Nick looks askance, “Not really.”

“Right. Sorry.”

Nick exhales, then stuff his paws in his pockets. “No, don’t be. I’m sorry for being passive aggressive back there. Couldn’t help it.”

“Thanks,” Noel whispers. “And concerning Savage, this is just going to be a one-time thing for you. I’ll ask mère to make sure of it.”

“Why am I even here when you are?”

“I was just a temporary fill-in. But he doesn’t listen to me. He doesn’t listen to anyone. They probably pulled you in as a last resort.”

“Who would’ve thought a jackrabbit could be so f*cking stubborn.”

“Tell me about it. You think you can get through to him? I bet you he’s up in his room with a few lady friends, mucking it up.”

Nick scoffs, “Tch, I can try. Savage and I worked well together, sure, but didn’t mean I ever liked the guy.”

Noel scowls, “Only ladies like the guy.”

* * *

Nick repeats those words in his head as he exchanges in a face-to-face with a half-clothed female mongoose concierge.

“Umm…he’s on the balcony,” she offers, as she puts herself back together, and awkwardly whisks out besides him.

The fox groans and strides through the obscenely expensive and over-decorated suite, which is far more expensive than the one he had gotten for Judy.

“Still can’t keep it in your pants, huh, Savage?” Nick remarks coldly as he steps out onto the terrace and joins a male rabbit – dressed in a crimson robe and leaning against the balcony rail, taking a smoke, like a solid trope. 

“Wilde,” the rabbit responds with equal sobriety, without looking back, then takes a long drag. “You’ve cleaned up.”

“I always wore a suit when I worked with you,” Nick replies as he steps besides his old partner to share the view of the neon littered nightscape.

“I meant _internally_ , Mr. Wilde.”

“Heard of my new vocational pursuits, did you?” 

“Yes, and I am a bit ambivalent on the issue. I take it the lovely rabbit you just had dinner with is to blame?”

“When did you-?”

“You’ve gotten rusty, Wilde. I’m a bit disappointed.”

“Oh please,” Nick groans.

The two do not even look at each other. They both just stare out into the open with somberness.

“So where are the diamonds?” the fox asks.

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Jack mutters flatly.

“Wow. Great comeback.” Nick retorts dryly. “Look, Sav, you really put Mr. Big in a bind.”

“I know – he’s gotten soft and senile and the only reason why I’m in this bloody hotel room and not on a beach in the Caribbean is because of my respect for our history together.”

“Look, just tell him where the goods are and he’ll let you go. That’s what you want, right? An out?”

“Again, I don’t know how I feel about handing the diamonds over, considering I never intended to deliver them in the first place,” Jack Savage revealed without breaking his sober and laconic tone.

“So what? You’ll be on the run forever? This is Big’s last olive branch – ‘ _out of respect for your history together_.’ You’re a loose cannon even with an authority figure, how well do you think you’ll really do solo?”

Jack Savage takes another long drag of his cigarette. Then admits, “I was going to elope with her.”

Nick balks then he swerves his gaze to Savage and grimaces. “What?” he questions.

“I had gotten everything ready to go into hiding, to start a new life with her and she never showed up. That’s why I never delivered the diamonds. They were going to fund my new and-,” he laughs at himself, “… _idealistic_ life with her.

“Geez, I knew you had something with that cat.”

“Says the fox who’s in love with one of my own,” Savage returns.

Nick grimaces and growls. Jack, with an obliging smile, flicks his cigarette butt over the balcony.

“What if that lands on someone?” Nick quips.

Jack ignores him and eruditely comments, “Relationships – the ones we want. Will never work out, Wilde. Keep that in mind.”

Nick digests that for a minute then asks, “So if you just needed time to get over Felina, why give Big and Noe all this grief?

Jack chortles, “Do you think they would have understood? Big wouldn’t give a f*ck. Noe wouldn’t give a f-,”

“You’re a professional, Savage.”

“She ruined me, Wilde,” he guffaws, “And I couldn’t think of any remedies other than a nice hotel, gallons of liquor, and a different woman each night. But I think I finished my mourning period. It helps seeing you in a more hopeless state than my own.”

“Thanks, man.”

“Birds of a feather, my friend.” Jack returns to his room and swipes a large metallic lighter from off the nightstand, unclips the bottom and takes out a key that was secretly nestled inside. “The diamonds are in a safety deposit box in Zoccolo. I’ll give you this.” Nick reaches for it but Savage pulls it away. “But _only_ if you introduce me to your lovely lady friend.”

Immediately, Nick snarls, “No.”

“I won’t bed her, Wilde.”

“No.”

“Unless _she_ wants to.”

“ ** _No_**.”

“Then no key. No diamonds and no closure for Mr. Grandpapi Big.”

“You are _literally_ the worst.”

“I know.” Jack Savage smirks and tucks the key into the pocket of his robe. “I’m going to get changed.”

Nick sneers as he and his former partner stride into the bar in the lobby. Judy had texted him that they were there waiting for him. Then, a little later, she informed him that Suzie and Everett went to their hotel room for the night. In the slew of black décor, Nick spots Judy sitting by her lonesome at the bar, fiddling with the stem of her margarita glass and watching the mammals littering the dance floor.

Nick sighs at the sight of her, and almost immediately, as if it were an act of the romantic gods, Judy turns and finds his gaze. He blinks and then slowly raises his paw to wave awkwardly. She waves back and hops off her cushioned stool to walk up to him, but not in her typically excited fashion. She is very subdued when she approaches.

“Hey, you kinda disappeared into thin air…I thought you got kidnapped,” she chuckles awkwardly.

Nick mutters, “Sorry, Carrots, I-.”

“I’m afraid I am to blame,” Jack Savage articulates, while suavely stepping in between a disgruntled Nick and nodding winsomely towards Judy. “I’m an old friend of Wilde here, and I took a bit too much of his time. I apologize.”

“Oh,” Judy says, a little surprised, and her surprise augments when he takes her paw.

“Jack Savage. You must be the delightful Judy Hopps that I hear so much about,” Savage charmingly murmurs into her paw then he pecks it. “I never expected you to be this beautiful in person.”

Judy giggles in short, tense laughs. “Wow, um, thank you. I…umm…how do you know Nick?” she eventually stumbles out through her embarrassment as Nick deadpans behind Jack.

“We were partners and then both became _associates_ of Mr. Big. I am the original Carrots,” Jack says.

“I _never_ called you that,” Nick snaps.

“You did once and I kicked your ass so hard that you knew never to call me that again,” Jack retorts confidently, which only makes Nick grimace more.

Judy reveals a soft smile.

“May I buy you a drink?” Jack offers.

“Oh, I’m still finishing up the one I got.”

“Then let me buy you your next one.”

“I’m more of a one drink a night kind of gal,” Judy excuses herself timidly. But Savage is insistent until all three mammals reach the bar.

The jackrabbit then descends into long bouts of name-dropping and regaling Judy with fantastic stories of espionage across the seven seas and continents.

Finally, Nick, after a beer, interrupts one such tale of the rabbit’s adventures in the Amazon and his conquests against a giant spider.

“So Carr-Judy! Before I forget,” Nick practically shouts over the general din and Savage’s never-ending monologue, “Since tomorrow is your actual birthday, Fru Fru has claimed lunch with you at the garden restaurant here and the other mammals from the department were told to come to the bar on 45th at 7:00 to celebrate.”

“Oh, ok, that sounds good.” Then she smiles warmly at him, filling him with soft burning chill. “Thanks again for everything you’ve done for me. This has been great.” The alcohol twinges her cheeks with pink.

“Well, you know,” Nick murmurs and shrugs. He wants to reach out and hold her. He wants to tell her that all of it was nothing. He wants to confess that he could do so much more for her for forever and eternity. But he notices Jack’s suggestive glance and swallows himself back into the reality of his doubts.

Smooth jazz beings to play and well-dressed couples start trailing onto the dance floor a few meters from the bar.

Jack asks Judy – in the charming suaveness that characterizes him – for a dance and she instinctively turns to Nick, as if for permission.

“Go ahead,” Nick forces out with a smile. So Savage leads Judy by the paw to the dance floor, but not before discretely leaving behind the safety deposit box key for Nick at the bar and winking facetiously at him. The fox groans.

He takes another angry sip of his beer and notices Noel lurking at the entrance to the bar, hiding slightly behind a large floral arrangement. He looks back behind him to scan for Judy then heaves off of the barstool and strides over to his ex.

Noel chuckles, “You actually got him to get out, huh? Maybe you _should_ be his handler.”

“Not for all the diamonds in the world.” He hands her the key that Savage slipped him. “This is a key for a safety deposit box at the Zoccolo International Bank. The diamonds are inside along with a slew of foreign cash and passports.”

“So he’s quitting?”

“I guess so,” Nick huffs, his attentions still fixed on the dance floor, on Judy.

Noel notices and giggles to herself. After a conjured sigh, she jokes, “Geez, all this for a black cat.”

Nick scoffs, humored, “You knew?”

“Woman’s intuition – but, honestly, everyone in this line of work knows the lovely Felina and her effect on the unsuspecting mammal.”

“Femme Fatales,” Nick groans, “Ruining the lives of mammals since the beginning of time.”

The arctic vixen smirks. “Speaking of femme fatales – I just texted Mamam and _she_ says there’s a running pool on whether you end up ruining your chances with Ju-ju’s godmother.”

“Ugh, so are the more sharper detectives at the precinct.”

“Well, if you keep letting Savage make moves on your girl, then I’d say there’s a good chance Johnson might win.”

“I always hated Johnson,” Nick growls.

“I’m betting in favor. So you better DTR before Savage makes your girlfriend even _more_ uncomfortable.” Then she mutters under her breath, “I always forget how good of a dancer he is.”

“I know. It’s ticking me off…and she’s not my girlfriend.”

“Not yet, hence the necessity for the DTR.”

“DT-What? What are you even talking about?”

“DTR? _Defining The Relationship_. You never heard about of it?”

Nick scoffs his disbelief. “No. Besides, you know I’m straight.”

She practically guffaws, “Well, not now and frankly, seeing how she keeps stealing glances over this way, I don’t think she is either. Might be the jealous type, though. Absolutely _perfect_ for you.” She smirks gleefully at him.

Nick makes a face. “Just take the key and shut up.”

* * *

On the dance floor, Jack catches Judy sneaking glances up at Nick and Noel.

“Ah, is that Noel?” Jack asks with the syrup of his voice, then covertly turns her so that she no longer faces the entrance where the two foxes were distracting her.

“Yeah,” Judy says, slightly nervous. “You know her?”

“Of course, I’m actually surprised that you don’t. Since we are all _associates_ of Mr. Big. But she has spent the past year in Pelage.”

“Huh,” is all she says.

“Nick and I were already partners when they first became involved. They really hit it off when we first met Mr. Big and his cohort for an assignment. They were friends for a long time. Then something more for even longer. She was the one who got away – almost affected his work.”

As he talks nonchalantly about what she had guessed but did not want to hear, Judy tenses up.

“He was going to propose to her –,”

Judy pushes Jack away from her, which shocks them both. Emotions erupt within Judy in a flurry as apprehensive silence envelopes the two rabbits – with bebop jazz still playing in the distance. “Sorry,” she mutters, “I just…I think…”

“Hey, did he do something to you?” Nick’s voice breaks through the white noise that was filling Judy’s thoughts. She looks to her left to see Nick nearly barreling towards them, protective anger in his gaze.

Jack lifts his hands in defense. “I didn’t touch her.”

Nick is about to serve a cold rebuttal when Judy grabs his sleeve. “He really didn’t,” she explains awkwardly, embarrassed mostly at herself as other mammals stare at them in judgment.

“But I think I’m going to go back to my room,” she murmurs – not looking at anyone in particular. She finally does turn to Savage and says to him, “Thank you for the dance and the drink. Have a good night.”

Then, immediately, she turns on her heels and bounds off the dance floor, ignoring the worried and confounded gaze she knows Nick is giving her. While trying to swallow the burning chill of embarrassment down, she hurries up the stairs and rushes towards the entrance where Noel still stands.

“Sorry if he made you feel uncomfortable. He doesn’t get the concept of boundaries,” Noel comments as Judy is about to pass her.

The rabbit, still nonplussed, pauses for a bit and releases a short and edgy chuckle. “Oh no…Nothing happened. I just…Good night.” She does her ‘ _I_ _’_ _m pointing and walking_ _’_ gesture and keeps walking.

“Don’t believe a word he says,” Noel suddenly states and walking besides her. Judy furrows her brows, wondering if she had overheard what Savage had said. She just acknowledges that she heard Noel while still making a hard and fast beeline to the lobby and hurriedly and boards an elevator that other mammals are piling into.

To Judy’s surprise (and horror), Noel joins, settling right besides Judy in the elevator car.

After the first forty or so floors, after the other animals left and they were alone in the elevator, Judy questions nervously, “Why did you follow me?” She taps her foot repeatedly, in a nervous tick.

“Do you like Nick?” Noel outright asks Judy.

Judy coughs out a non-answer then states, “Of course I do.”

Noel purses her lips. “Come on, honey, you know what I mean.”

Judy wants to scream, yell, and stomp her feet. But ultimately, she calms down and simply just utters out, with a blank expression, “I…I don’t know.”

Noel sighs, shoves her paws into the pockets of her pristinely white chef’s uniform. “I believe that.”

“I don’t know why everyone is keep pushing for this,” Judy broils, “…I just.”

“So you do know?” Noel asks, “That he likes you. That other people are ‘shipping’ you?”

“I’m not stupid,” Judy retorts, peeved. “The hotel suite, the dress, the whole evening. The _betting_. Even Fru Fru got in on it, dropping “hints” that are not as veiled as she thinks they are.” She whisks around to glare at Noel, “So, _yes,_ I know that Nick,” she sighs out of exhaustion, “… _likes_ me.”

“But you don’t know what to do about that.”

Judy frowns. “Noel, can I call you Noel?”

Noel nods; humored.

“Honestly, I don’t think you have the right to be talking about this with me. You’re…not related to this…” Judy feels her mouth run parse.

“Well, aren’t you a little snark. No wonder he likes you,” Noel heckles with a well-meaning laugh, which makes Judy frown. The chef notices and decides to lighten up.

“You might think me rude because of all the prying…” The vixen shrugs. “But I still care about him, despite everything. I want him to be happy.”

“I do too,” Judy insists. “I just…I- ugh,”

“Well, _sweetheart_ ,” Noel hums as they reach the 80th floor and the elevator dings. “You might not know for sure but don’t you think you need to tell it to him straight? Especially if you know his feelings?”

Judy heaves in and out and murmurs, “Yeah, I know.” Then she steps out after the doors slide open. She turns back to smile weakly at the arctic fox. “I really like your name by the way, Noel,” she says in an exhausted but genuine way. “I think it’s really pretty,”

The vixen grins warmly. “Thanks.”

The doors to the elevator close and Judy sighs. Then the next elevator opens up and Nick tumbles out of the overly crowded car, in a ragged state. He huffs and puffs then gripes, “Fricking hippos.”

Judy – despite the woes that have plagued her in the last few hours – just laughs at the sight of him. He finally notices her and purses his lips as she laughs. He dusts himself off and shuffles his shoulders while pulling down on the hem of his jacket then he repositions his tie. She continues to giggle as he tells her to shove off.

Then, Nick groans while looking up to the ceiling for a moment and then back to her. He rubs the back of his neck in an apologetic manner and says, “I’m really sorry for all of that.”

“For what? You didn’t do anything.”

“No one should have to deal with Savage and Noel in one day, let alone in three hours.”

Judy chuckles, “Yeah, they’re definitely…unique. I’m still super confused on how you are all related.”

Nick sighs, mentally wondering how to give her the summary of his younger years. “In my late teens and twenties I got caught up in some…stuff…and I started working with him and this mouse and,” he groans. "It's a long story." Then he pauses, softens, and whispers, ““I hope your evening wasn’t ruined.”

“Oh, Nick, of course not,” she sings.

“Good.” He beams at her.

She beams back. The warmth shared between them suddenly swells into fondness and Judy, overwhelmed, looks away and releases an awkward and breathy laugh.

Nick coughs. “So…it’s getting late. You should probably go to bed.” He ruffles the top of her head. “I’ll see you tomorrow, Carrots.”

She, without thinking, reaches out and grasps at his sleeve.

Unprepared for that, he apprehensively asks, “What’s up?”

“I…Do you want to come in?”

In her mind, Judy starts screaming.

“Huh?”

“To my room…to watch a movie or something? I just…” She feels heat surge beneath her cheeks and internally blames the alcohol. “I just can’t stand the idea of having that huge hotel room all to myself.”

In the moment that follows, Judy wonders if she shouldn’t have and Nick wonders if he should. Her fingers still grip the silk of his jacket sleeve as nervousness abounds.

Finally, he says, “Sure.”

* * *

Nick whistles out his being impressed as he looks about the suite after Judy lets them in and flicks on the lights. He slides his jacket off, flings it on a chair, and jokes, “You’re definitely getting my money’s worth.”

Judy, who caught herself thinking that Nick looked better in slim fit Oxford shirts than in his stupid Pawaiian ones, shakes her head to bring herself back, and snidely retorts, “You mean Mr. Big’s money?”

Nick playfully snarls, “Aw man, I was hoping Fru wouldn’t tell you.”

“She’s not the best at keeping secrets,” Judy grins.

Nick chortles. “I’m just glad she didn’t say anything until today.” He spies the television remote on her bed, swipes it and holds it up to show her while waggling it between his fingers. “So, Miss I’ve-Never-Seen-Star-Wars, wanna see if we can catch you up on your considerably deficient pop culture knowledge?”

Judy groans, “I am _sorry_ I haven’t seen any of them but you have to admit the whole saga is just super confusing.”

“ _How_? How is it confusing?” Nick questions, earnestly, while throwing one hand up in disbelief and using the other to click the remote to turn the TV on.

Defensively, Judy interrogates, “Why does 4, 5 and 6 come _before_ 1, 2 and 3?”

“Because the prequels were made later,” he retorts then he grins impishly. “I call them the pre-sequels.”

“Whatever.”

Nick tosses her a look as he sits on the edge of the bed and scrolls through the DVR. “They don’t even have _The Furce Awakens_ …ugh. Guess we’ll have to binge-watch them another time.”

“Ooh, they have _Me Be-fur You_ ,” she exclaims as she joins him and points at a title that he scrolls past. “I wanted to see that.”

“I do not,” Nick immediately grumbles.

“Well, I don’t want to watch anything serious.”

“That movie would’ve been _obscenely_ serious.” He keeps clicking to leave the New Releases section and goes through a list of general movie titles.

“But it’s cute,” Judy whines.

“Quadriplegia is not cute,” Nick derides, “You just want to watch a rom-com.” Then, he scoffs, “ _Cute_ , of course you’d like cute things.”

Judy scoffs and elbows him. “What’s wrong with that?”

“Everything.” He elbows her back. “Oh.” He stops at a title.

Judy looks at the screen and sees “ _This Little Space in Between (1995)_ _”_ highlighted on the screen.

“This might be a good compromise,” Nick comments as he clicks on the title to look at the summary. “My aunt said that it was really good.” He leans back on his forearms then turns to her after reading the blurb. “What do you think?”

Judy finishes reading herself and wryly smirks at him, “This totally sounds like a rom-com and you’re actually _willing_ to watch it?”

“If Aunt Tori gave it her stamp of approval, it’s going to be good. She hates rom-coms even more than I do.”

“Well, if Aunt Tori is fine with it then I am too. Also, it sounds _cute_.”

He groans and flattens out on the bed. “Silly rabbit,” he huffs.

“Stupid fox,” Judy returns and lies down besides him. “So are we watching this or not?”

Nick continues to stare at the decorated drapes of the four-poster bed and admits, with a sigh, “I’m actually really hungry.”

“Hmmm,” Judy laughs as she turns to lie flat on her back to also look up. “Do you think that’s because you actually didn’t touch your food and spent all of dinner chatting up your ex?”

“ _Hey_ , I came back.”

“For like two seconds and then said,” now Judy speaks in a conjured faux-deep and foolish voice and gestures about, “ _Oh, sorry, I have to go take care of something. Bye, carrot-eaters_.”

“I did not say that.”

“You said something curt and brusque.”

“Well, I don’t sound like that.”

“Yes, you do.”

“No, I don’t.” He turns to glare at her.

“Yes. Yes, you do.” She turns to smile back.

He thins his gaze, suggestively. “Funny. Because I recall Clawhauser mentioning how a certain bunny-cop thinks my voice is really…what was the word used? _Sexy_?”

Judy bolts off the bed, absolutely scandalized. “No. I…oh my gosh. I did not…” She growls under her breath, “I can’t tell him _anything_.”

“I know right?” he snickers as he hoists himself off the bed while Judy buries herself in her hands. He makes his way to the phone at the bedside nightstand. “So as you remorsefully think about how I am going to hang that little factoid over your head for all of eternity, I’m going to call Room Service and ask for a burger. You want anything? You know, other than your dignity?”

She scowls at him. “Maybe you shouldn’t order anything because you already had a helping of jerk-face.”

“Wow,” Nick snorts. “Best comeback ever, Carrots.”

“UGH.” Judy shakes her fists at the heavens and plops back down into the satin covered comforter.

Nick chuckles to himself as he picks up the hotel information folder and flips through the pages until he finds the room service menu.

Judy lifts herself back up, slides off the bed and stalks to the bathroom. “I’m going to get changed,” she informs him. “Oh, and I want dessert.” She grabs her pajamas, which were folded atop of a circular table by the television.

“Carrot cake?” he snidely assumes while he dials.

She glowers at him. “ _No_. Do they have cheesecake?”

“Yep.” Someone on the other end picks up and Nick says, “Hi, I’m in Suite 8-0-fourteen. I’d like to order a bug-burger – no tomatoes…”

Nick continues to list his very particular specifications so Judy just rolls her eyes and closes the bathroom door behind her.

“…no, I want the pickles. Yes. So the burger, _ooh_ , blueberry parfait…one of those, and then and a slice of cheesecake and…” Nick clears his throat. He eyes the bathroom door, deliberates for a moment, then asks, “Could we get a bottle of wine too? No, no red. Um, a rosé is fine. Thanks.”

He hangs up and exhales. “Maybe the wine’s a bit much…” he mutters to himself.

Nick starts undoing his tie, yanking it every other inch until it loosens. He idles to the table and two-chair set and slouches in the fancifully upholstered chair he did not fling his jacket on and fiddles about.

He hears the water faucet squeak on and Judy’s distant humming, so he figures that she’s washing up. He pulls out his phone and sees that Finnick texted him. The preview of the text shows: _YOOOOOOOOOOOOO._

Nick sucks against his teeth. The “O’s” probably goes on for a little longer. His slides his finger against the screen and opens the texts and indeed, the “ _YOOOOOOOOOOOOO_ _”_ was actually “ _YOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOIOOIIOOO_ _…_ _u do hr yt? LOL. HA!_ _”_

Nick deadpans. Then he texts, “ _None of ur business._ _”_

A knock resounds on the door, finally.

Nick flicks his phone onto the chair behind him as he gets up to open the door and greets Gordon Badger at the door with the gilded food cart.

“Sup, Gordon.”

“Oh, hello there, Nick… _you_ ordered the rosé?”

“It’s for the bunny.”

“ _Right_ ,” the middle-aged badger chuckles as he pushes the cart in and begins to set everything at the table. When he finishes and after he refuses the ten-dollar tip, the bellhop asks, “ _So_ … what are you doing in the same suite as the lady rabbit?”

Nick retorts, defensively, “We’re going to watch a movie and then I’m going to go home.”

Gordon obviously does not believe him. So he just grins and leaves, leaving Nick in a weird mood.

At this point, Judy finally steps out of the bathroom, sans make-up, in her lovely blue pajamas littered with carrot chibis. She hangs her dress on one of the hangers in the closet.

The fox grins mischievously at the sight, ready to throw a sarcastic insult her way (despite being the one who picked out those pajamas for her) but she beats him to the punch by literally punching him. In the stomach.

Déjà vu sweeps over Nick as he keels over. Judy triumphantly smirks as she takes hold of his tie and tightens it so that it goes taut against his neck with a resounding “whiiick”.

“Don’t even think about it,” she adds.

Nick hacks out and salaciously grins, while eyeing her hold on the tie. “Naughty bunny.”

Judy knees him in the chin.

He groans into the floor and Judy, immensely pleased with her self, skips over to the table to admire her dessert.

To humor her, Nick stays sprawled out, moaning dramatically until Judy asks about the wine.

“You got wine? _Why_?” Judy raises a brow as she lifts the bottle by the neck out of the ice bucket to inspect it.

“Why not?” Nick hoists himself off the ground and takes the wine from her. “We need to celebrate and you can’t do that without a good wine. Have you ever had rosé?”

“I had that one with the fruit?” Judy peeps out.

“Sangria. Completely different,” Nick comments as he digs his claw into the cork and wrenches it out with a satisfying POP. “Rosé is halfway between red and white. You really don’t drink much, huh?”

“Gotta keep up the whole naïve country girl routine,” she quips.

They continue in their regular badinage as they shove the table closer to the television and set themselves up at the foot of the bed, with Judy lying on the bed and Nick on the floor while using a chair to hold his plate.

Nick starts the movie and both masticate away at their respective foods. Nick scarfs down his burger in five bites and begrudgingly shares part of his blueberry parfait with Judy. Each has their own glass of rosé wine nearby that they keep filling throughout the evening.

Eventually, when they finish with their food, Judy pats the area of the bed besides her and offers it to Nick.

He, being the imp he is, leaps onto the mattress, which makes the pillows and Judy fly into the air.

“Nick!” she half-shrieks as she lands back on the bed.

“Ah, comfy.” He curls into the comforter as she hurls pillows at him.

They eventually calm down to return to watching the film, which was basically a long conversation between two mammals who meet on a train and explore Europe together before they part ways, perhaps forever.

As they lay on the bed, Judy eyes Nick’s tail as it slowly flails about like a flag in the wind. The increasing alcohol in her system slowly turns the circles and cubes of her thoughts into foggy strings of contemplation.

Then the kiss scene comes on. She gets squeamish and glances towards Nick, who seems indifferent for someone watching two animals suck face.

By the time the credits began to roll, the rabbit is still squirming. She is thinking and thinking and thinking, but everything is still a fog.

At some point, to interrupt her own thoughts, Judy asks, “Do you think they ever meet again?” Then she yawns.

“There’s a sequel where they do,” Nick informs as he lifts up his phone to show her that he had looked it up.

She scoffs, “Thanks for the spoilers. You just totally took the magic out of it.”

Nick makes a face. “What magic?”

“The magic of …I don’t know. But you ruined it,” she insists right as she plops herself into numerous pillows, obviously exhausted.

“Well, that is what Nick Wilde does best. Ruin stuff,” he quips flatly while scrolling through his phone.

Judy grumbles, “Stop doing that.”

“Doing what, Carrots?”

“Put yourself down like that.”

Nick looks at her now, not expecting that turn in conversation.

Judy goes on, “I know you’re doing it for kicks and I know I started it but…I don’t like it when you do that.”

Nick smiles. “I’m a cynic…can’t help it.”

“Well, _try_.”

“Ha. Easier said than done, No one can be as chirpy as you are, Officer Hopps. I almost have an obligation to be cynical when I’m around you. Gotta balance each other out, you know?”

She cuddles into the pillows and groans through her fatigue. “I can be sarcastic too, but that doesn’t mean I have to think any less of myself.”

Nick cocks his head. “What do you mean?”

Judy lifts herself off the cushion, her eyes half-closed, and murmurs, “What I _mean_ is…is that I don’t like seeing you thinking less of yourself when you really shouldn’t.”

“You saying you believe in me, Carrots?” He shuffles about on the bed so that he looks over her in her little nest of pillows. He releases a breathy laugh.

She glares at him. “Of _course_ I do, stupid-head.”

“I think you’re drunk and tired. But I do appreciate the sentiment,” Nick slides off the bed and straightens his tie.

“I’m not that tired,” she pouts. Then yawns.

“ _Sure_.” He reaches out to pull the comforter over her.

But she gets up and scoots over to the edge of the bed. “Nick, I mean what I said,” she says seriously as she takes his arm.

Nick tosses her a somewhat befuddled look.

Judy continues, “I believe in you, completely and utterly believe in you. Because you are so much more than what you give yourself credit for. I’ve known that since the Nighthowlers and I know that now.” She pulls him closer to her and whispers, with warmth in her voice and smile, “I wouldn’t want anyone else to be my partner and I am so glad you hustled me in that mean elephant’s ice cream shop.”

Before she can say anything more, he suddenly hugs her. Her eyes go wide for a moment but she proceeds to hug him back, nestling her forehead into his shoulder.

Then he coughs and squeezes her tighter. She giggles as she pats him on the back while waiting for him to release her.

“Nick…” she tries to push him back to look at him but he simply tightens again.

“Don’t look up,” he croaks.

Judy feels her fur bristle. “Are you crying?”

“Do I look like a fox who’d cry over…”

She finally pushes him back to see his teary eyes and discomposed visage. She sighs into a compassionate smile and takes a hold of his muzzle and tousles his fur. “You foxes, so _emotional_.”

“Oh, whatever,” he scoffs as he turns away to look everywhere else but at her.

A beat.

“I’m just glad for your friendship,” he spits out.

She is about to say likewise when he looks at his phone and says, “It’s way past midnight so…” he glances at her and smirks. “Happy Birthday, Judy,”

Then, demurely, she answers, “Thank you.” She practically flings herself back onto his shoulders to give him another hug. “Thank you so much, Nick,” she mutters into his ear. “You made everything so special.” While she slips away, she pecks him on the cheek.

Nick raises his brows as she pulls back to face him.

“Thanks,” she says again, in a sweet and heavy whisper.

Another beat. A measured, heavy beat.

It overflows and flowers with the tension of affections unsaid, trapping both of them in a viscous ambience as they gaze at each other. Nick breathes in the silence. Judy breathes out anticipation.

He sets his paw over hers.

She blinks slowly, her eyelashes batting down slowly, fluidly.

Apprehensively, he inches his face closer. Their cheeks touch – just barely – so that they might feel each other’s fur. He kisses her right over where a dimple usually forms when she smiles. She closes her eyes as he does, feeling the sensation of his lips parting from her skin.

Judy clears her throat, embarrassed by the sound of her urgent breathing. Finally, she looks up at him and whispers, “You keep missing.”

So he cups her face and kisses her. And kisses her.

Their breaths begin to collide as his lips press upon hers over and over again. She takes a hold of his shirt and pulls him towards her and they both fall onto the bed, still attached with their fervent kisses.

She turns away to gasp for air and he continues to peck her cheek then her neck. She mewls under him and he returns to her lips.

In between breaths and buss, he utters out, “I…I didn’t… come up… here to…”

They pause for a moment so she can reply, “I know. I didn’t either but…I want to.”

“Judy…I-.”

“I know…”

He kisses her again and when she feels his tongue against hers, the waves, the circles, the cubes, and the fog dissolve into pools of melted reason that slowly begins to burn throughout her body and spark at the small of her back. She thinks about how great this feels, how right this feels, how loved she feels.

She manages to pull him closer to her while still eagerly wrestling his tongue with her own. She is moaning and melting into him. With one paw, he grabs his tie and whips it out from his collar. He returns his touch to her body; his paws caressing her and finding their way to the hem of her shirt and underneath it.

“I-!” she whimpers, breathily, then she suddenly pushes him away. “I’m going to take a shower.”

Shocked, confused, and feeling somewhat interrupted, Nick just mutters, “Okay.”

* * *

Judy forgot what underwear she had on and used the shower as an excuse to “get herself ready”. She could foresee Nick chuckling at the granny-panties she was possibly wearing despite Nick already having spent the last two and half hours with her in her carrot pajamas. Honestly, what underwear she was wearing was the last thing on Nick’s mind.

What _was_ on Nick’s mind was a veritable hurricane of doubts. As he listened to the torrents of water of the shower through the door of the bathroom, Nick poured himself another glass of wine and drank it in one nervous gulp. He sets the glass down and sits in apprehensive anticipation. His elbows on his knees. Then a paw running through the fur over his right ear.

Then a sigh.

Then he gets up, grabs his phone, his coat, and tie and walks out of the room.

* * *

* * *

Not ten minutes after Juniper hung up after not being able to convince Nick to go back, her phone rings again.

“Hello?”

A pause.

“What happened?”

Muffled responses and Juniper goes, “Yeah, alright. I’m going to call in and clear my afternoon. I’ll see you in my office in a little bit.” 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyways, this took forever and I’m sorry but it’s done and I don’t know if I actually like it. I might just scrap the whole thing but argh…wanted to get something out this weekend. Summer courses suck.  
> I wanted to bring in Jack Savage...just like how everyone else does... but because the creators originally had him and Nick as partners, I just figured it'd be fun to have them be partners in the past. And I wanted him to be a ridiculous trope-oozing asshole with lady troubles like all other famous spies - Bond, Archer, etc.  
> Did you guys get all of the Disney rodent references?  
> Also, there's a shameless plug for a WildeHopps one-shot of mine "This Little Space In Between" - please check them out! Especially the Mansfield Park one!  
> Anyways, it is definitely to easier for me to write Nick the way that I am because these are the diagnoses that I’ve struggled with myself. Honestly, this is more of an exploration for me to see how well I can articulate my own conception and fears about the relationships I enter. So thank you for reading this and being a part of this journey with me. One more chapter to go!!  
> And to you all who nitpick at the behavior of my psychologist OC and how horrible of a shrink she is, which she totally is, I would like to gently remind you that this is a piece of shitty fanfiction :D (At least she's not as bad as Hannibal).  
> Thank you and Good Night!


	5. Come on, skinny love, just last the year

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The following interactions demonstrate how direct communication is key when determining the exact parameters of a skinny love between those involved in such a relationship. When does a skinny love stop being skinny?

**Session Five –** “Come on, Skinny Love, just last the year.”

* * *

Nick could barely sleep but eventually his consciousness does descend into a dreamless slumber on the lump he calls a mattress. After a period that only seemed like a few seconds to him, his phone buzzing jolts him awake, making his realize that he did end up falling asleep. Thankfully, Sundays are typically his day off.

Through his fatigue and frustration, he glares at his phone and sees that his screen is crammed with text notifications but also the time – 1:28 _in the afternoon_. Groggily and while mentally yelling at himself for sleeping in so much, he scrolls through them and sees that a bunch are from Clawhauser, some from Finnick, one from Fru Fru calling him a bastard, and at the very bottom of the list were three short heart-wrenching ones from Judy:

> **Carrots** 3:25A
> 
> Ok. Fine. 

 

> **Carrots** 3:12A
> 
> Hey…

 

> **Carrots** 3:12A
> 
> Hey, did you step out?

He groans the very entirety of his former good judgment into his paw. His phone buzzes again.

>   **Donuts** _just now_
> 
>  PIK UP UR PHONE U STUPID FOX! JUDY SKIPPD WORK!!!!!

At that, Nick instantly slides open the phone and calls Clawhauser.

“FINALLY!” Clawhauser shouts breathily. “I thought you died.”

Nick, ignoring that comment, aggressively interrogates, “Judy skipped work?”

Clawhauser hums, “Well, not really, but she called in sick earlier today and texted everyone that she couldn’t make it to the pub tonight. Which, you know, is super weird since she _always_ clocks in. Remember when she still came in to work that day she had that awful bout of bronchitis?”

Nick’s mind races into mental hyperventilation and just mutters out, “Yeah…”

“Bogo had to threaten to fire her again if she didn’t go home,” Clawhauser warbles on and on.

Nick does not respond.

He is shocked – dumbfounded, even.

He could not believe it.

He made Judy _skip work_.

“Donuts…” Nick finally says, interrupting a long and rambling monologue that Clawhauser was just finishing up. “I gotta go.”

Nick scrambles off his bed in a hurricane of anxious red and orange fur. He slithers into a wrinkled t-shirt and sets off with the intent of breaking down Judy’s apartment door if necessary.

* * *

 An hour later, a large pig literally sits on Nick’s face, squishing it into the ugly mauve and purple carpet of the lobby of Dr. Capibrera and Associates’.

Both Nick and the security guard yell at each other while the other mammals in the room mob around nervously.

As the pig is shouting at him to stop resisting, Nick angrily and hurriedly seethes out through his smashed muzzle that he is a cop and that he can charge him for striking an officer but it fell unheard because of the incessant screaming and squeaking of the swine.

Suddenly, Dr. Juniper Leong-Scott barges through the door and roars, “EVERYONE STAND DOWN!”

Instantly, the waiting area falls into terrified silence.

Dr. Leong glares at the security guard and starts stalking towards him while growling, "Release my patient.” 

“But he’s going **_feral_** _,_ ” the pig splutters out, visibly frightened by the leopard striding towards him.

“He is _not_. And if you use that slur to describe my patients again, I will have you removed from staff and blacklisted from every security force in Zootopia. Release my patient.” 

The pig stands up to allow Nick to push himself off the ground. As he groans from the sudden release of pain, Nick reaches into his back pocket and pulls out his badge to flash it in front of the pig, who flinches at the implication.

Nick stares with blank and half-lidded yet bitter eyes. “You’ll be hearing from my department.”

The pig gulps.

“Mr. Wilde, please go inside,” she insists, holding the door to the counseling rooms open with a single limb. 

A large ram the shape of a five-foot tall ball of cotton waddles up to them from the mob that had formed in the lobby. “You can’t take him inside,” he says indignantly.

“And what do you mean by that, Dr. Woolward?”

“You’re meeting with someone right now.”

Juniper is about to retort angrily when Nick dejectedly mutters, “He was the one who called the hog.”

June turns to him and slowly and angrily seethes out, “What?”

Nick repeats, through his dismal sneer, “He’s the one who called security.”

The ram huffs and states, “You were attacking our administrator. Of course I’m going to-,”

“He wasn’t…” the secretarial chinchilla cheeps out. Everyone turns to the shaking mammal as she meekly continues, “He was just asking about…your other patient. He didn’t lay a paw on me.”

“Well,” the wooly psychiatrist scoffs, ignoring the monumental occasion of having the chinchilla defend her self and others, and spits, “This is still completely against protocol and you cannot have two predators with a prey mammal in the same roo-,”

“Officer Wilde is _my_ patient,” Juniper snarls. “And considering that he is obviously not safe in the lobby of this office, I believe, in my professional opinion, that he should be taken to my office immediately. Call it a breach of protocol. Call it whatever you want. Bottom line is… I will be doing whatever I can to ensure the safety of my patients. You ought to do that too.”

Dr. Leong-Scott gestures for Nick to go in ahead of her towards the counseling rooms. Dr. Woolward is about to blubber out an objection when Juniper adds, “Afterwards, _Wooly,_ I will be turning in my resignation so if there is anyone stupid enough to disagree with that course of action, they ought to be satisfied with that, right? Sound fair?” 

She slams the door behind her and stalks through the hallway, with Nick following ruefully behind.

“Was that the right time to quit?” Nick asks apologetically while rubbing the sore part of his neck and face.

Without turning back, June immediately states, “Yes.” 

* * *

 

After a moment, they both make it to the door of her office. She swings the door open and they both catch Judy in the act of attempting to crawl out the window and onto the fire escape.

Nick widens his eyes while June narrows hers. Judy shudders in fear.

“Officer Hopps,” the psychologist mutters.  

“Yes?” Judy replies in the softest peep imaginable.

“Are you attempting to escape having to meet Officer Wilde vis-à-vis my window?” 

“…perhaps.” 

“Please return to your seat. Or I _will_ pounce on you. I’m already resigning so there’s not much from stopping me.”

“Ok,” Judy squeaks and plops down on the sofa. Then the rabbit catches Nick staring at her and turns her gaze away.

His face, neck and heart all ache and he exhales.

Juniper gestures to her swivel chair. “Nick, why don’t you sit on my chair? Judy, would you mind if I sat with you on the couch?”

“That’s fine,” Judy whispers, staring at her wringing paws.

Nick slowly settles into the cushion where his therapist usually sits while Juniper sits a foot away from Judy on the couch.

Silence and silence and quiet silence still.

“Nick…” Juniper begins in a somber fashion. “Did you come here for Judy?”

Nick just nods.

A beat.

Then he barks in frustration and kneads his paw against his face. He turns to Judy.

“Why didn’t you go to work? You…you never skip work.”

“I was here.”

“Why?” 

“I figured that if it’s alright for you to meet with Dr. Leong-Scott on your own, I could too,” Judy mutters bitterly as she crosses her arms, still without looking at him.

“Judy…” June urges in the tone of a mother. “I think you should tell him what we established just a little while ago.”

Judy stares at her in horror but Juniper simply nods towards Nick. “He needs to know what you felt and you need to tell him.”

Nick feels an excuse ready to leap from his lips but Dr. Leong-Scott stops him from voicing it with an insistent stare.

“Both of you need to learn how to talk about your feelings because you can’t just chock it up to unresolved tension or what-ifs or I-don’t-knows anymore… You can no longer use that excuse because you acted on your impulses and you both have to deal with the repercussions,” Juniper huffs as she leans back into the pillows of the sofa. “Before you were in a lot of grey but now colors are starting to come up. You can’t ignore that.”

“Nice metaphor,” Nick quips.

“Thank you,” Juniper retorts, “Just thought of it.” She turns back to Judy who has returned to balling her back and shoulders into herself.  
“Judy, take your time to think of the right words. But you still need to talk to him.”

Judy sighs and collapses her face into her paws.

Nick feels his back prickling in discomfort and concern.

After another long sigh, Judy looks up and glares at Nick. “You hurt me,” she manages to mutter.

Nick’s breath hitches in his dread. He is about to apologize when Juniper shakes her head.

“Let her finish.”

Judy huffs out a whisper of anxiety and murmurs, “I was so confused and hurt and it dawned on me that when that happens, the first mammal I turn to is _you_. But you were the one who make me confused. You were the one who hurt me so what was I supposed to do?"

Each and every word that leaves her mouth enters and gores the deepest and softest part of his inner person. His emotions swell and he rails, in a timid and heavy whisper, “Judy-,"

Emphatically, she cuts him off. “Why did you leave last night?” 

Nick grinds his teeth and forces his evasive front to come forth. “Me heading for the hills when things get a little too intense? Yeah, sure, that doesn’t sound like me at all,” he bitterly and facetiously chuckles.

“UGH!” Judy almost shrieks. “Why do you always do that? Why do you always try to slither out of stuff?”

“Judy,” Nick retorts, now getting defensive, “You don’t want me as your first.”

“You don’t make that decision, I do.”

“I know. I get that. But you don’t even _love_ me.”

At this, Judy recoils.

“Did you think I didn’t know?” Nick laughs and weeps simultaneously. “That last night wasn’t a result of the wine, the dinner with your sister and her amazing perfect boyfriend and my ex-girlfriend and that stupid fucking jackrabbit that has to pry in everything? Tell me if I’m wrong but last night, you were probably just caught up in your emotions…and I…there’s only so much of me that I can allow to be tugged around.”

“What…what do you mean?”

“You…you pull me around on a hook and, gah,” he guffaws in disbelief, “Every little fucking thing you say or do _hurts_ me, Jude…”

Judy furrows her brows in confusion and concern.

“Whenever you smile, whenever you even look at me like that – it’s like my fucking heart is being skewered with a knife. So when you say or do something that gives me hope…it completely fucks me up – like when you touch my forearm, when you write me those stupid sticky notes with hearts on ‘em and put them on my computer or in my lunchbox, when you – fuck – tell me to kiss you. Now I’m smart enough to see that you’re not doing it on purpose but…I don’t want you to like me just because I like you. And I definitely don’t want you to sleep with me if you’re going with the flow.”

“Did you think I was just ‘going with the flow’ with you?”

“What else was all of that?”

“Oh, _I don’t know_ ,” Judy shouts through her tears as she angrily gestures outward, “Maybe me realizing that I like you back? That I _wanted_ to take this further that-.”

“That you were drunk,” Nick mutters sourly.

Judy’s whole body twinges in hurt and anger. “You were the one who got the wine. The one who bought me a fricking _hotel room_.”

“Alright, that’s enough,” Juniper comments soothingly as she stands, gesticulating at both of them to sit back down since neither of them realized that they actually had both inched off their seats, read to tower over each other.

“Nick…” Dr. Leong-Scott utters in a tone of slight admonishment, “You’re hurting her. You are twisting her choices into mistakes when she wants to deal with the repercussions of what you both had chosen to do. You need to respect that. If last night was something she did not want we would be having a completely different conversation.” She pauses. “You can’t always assume that she is toying with your feelings on a whim. She’s not trying to hurt you.”

“I’m not assuming that. I just…I,” he sighs. “I’m sorry.”

Judy remains silent and sullen.

Dr. Leong turns her attentions to her and says, “Judy, right now, you need to empathize with where Nick is coming from but you can’t do that unless you know why he always assumes the worst. Right, Nick?”

“It’s cuz I’m a cynic.”

“ _Nick.”_ Juniper softly growls. “You need to tell her about the press conference.”

“Press conference?” Judy asks. “What…”

Nick grumbles out, “The one during the Nighthowler case.”

“But that was almost two years ago…I…Is what I said still hurting you?” Judy asks, concerned and mortified at the prospect.

He releases a short and curt sigh. “Honestly…it’s still fresh in my mind. I mean…here’s this fox, okay? Who is taken on this fantastic adventure with this amazing mammal and she actually believes in him, relies on him, wants him by her side. But with a single comment she literally destroys his world,” he laughs bitterly. “God, you don’t want to know how much I actually cried that day, Carrots. I knew you regretted it, I knew you were sorry but that kind of thing…those kinds of things…they’re going stick with me, Carrots. They keep my up at night. I can’t…I can’t help but worry that you’ll do it again. That you’ll tear me apart and that…this whole world will tear us apart. Could you even imagine?” he grimaces. “A fox and a rabbit together? We’ve been the first for a lot of things, Carrots, but I don’t think we could possibly be the first fox and bunny couple and do it well.”

Nick releases a long, burdensome breath. “I don’t think I could handle that.”

Judy is about to weep and through her heavy gasps, she whimpers, “But isn’t that why we need each other? To face this world together? I…I’m sorry that you still think that and I know that what I did scarred you but…we’re a _team_ , Nick. We always have been.”

“Judy, I don’t want you to _need_ me. And I don’t want to _need_ you. That’s asking too much of you.”

Judy blinks and ponders deeply for a moment. Then she says, "I don't just want to need you anymore. I want to be by your side because I just want to be there. Not because I need you. So if you regret what happened last night then fine,” she slowly articulates as her face twinges at the thought, “I just want to let you know that I think it’s unfair of you to not give us the chance it deserves. I’m sorry that I don’t know if I love you in the same way or not. I’m sorry that I can’t figure out how much I want this but I think I do want it and I definitely don’t want to quit or stop…

“We are our own people, Nick. I know exactly who I am and you know exactly who you are. Who cares that it took meeting each other to get to that point. That doesn’t mean we’re absorbed in each other - it means we make each other better.”

Nick, who had buried his muzzle into his palm, peeks out and laughs out a small grin. “That’s some very specific vocabulary, you’re using there, Carrots. What have you been teaching her, June?”

“How to talk about feelings,” Juniper retorts with a huff, “And I’m glad to see that you learned too. But I guess the real question comes down to this: Do you or do you not want to be involved in an exclusive _romantic_ relationship with each other?”

Nick looks askance and Judy looks down. Then their eyes meet.

The fox takes a deep breath and asks meekly. “Do you?”

Judy takes a deep breath of her own and smiles, “You know you love me,” she half-jeers at him, returning the air in the room to something lighter. “…is what you _always_ say. To my chagrin because you _always_ say it when you do something stupid.” She sighs. “But the thing is, Nick, I really think I do. I do love you.”

The wall around Nick’s fragile little heart crumbles down and his emotions explode in him and all he can do is just bury himself in his hands – and Judy, the spectacular, amazing, beautiful Judy – his Judy – just smiles and smiles warmly at her fox.

Juniper lets this moment extend a few seconds past her typical threshold, allowing the two mammals to gaze lovingly at each other like two teenagers caught up in their pubescent emotions.

Finally, she says, “Good. Now, I would like to suggest some things.” She shifts her weight and gets down to business. “Do take time apart. Ensure that your schedules don’t completely revolve each other - today you both realized how much being apart can sting but it is necessary to make certain that you can be your own people on your own. With Officer Hopps’ promotion to detective, that might be easier. You both need to live your own lives. Judy, you were completely right in that you have established yourselves as your own people and that you both being the catalyst for the growth of the other is good but, as Nick mentioned, it cannot be a constant. Yes, you must be constant to each other - however, if you overly depend on each other to grow you, you won’t do any of the growing yourself. 

“Obviously, don’t simply overwork yourself alone - you have to rely on other people - but the healthiest couples bring others into their dynamic. There are many types of love – but the healthiest relationships will be those that work towards a definition of love being _commitment_ rather than treating it as a risky lose-all win-all experience. You are going to be disappointed and you will disappoint others. The true test of your affection is going to be your perseverance despite all the disappointments. Some things are worth giving up, honestly, but if you want to succeed – you need to forego those self-fulfilling prophecies and doubts and love despite everything.”

A beat.

Then Nick chuckles, “ _Now_ I’m getting my money’s worth.”

“Shut up, Nick.”

* * *

June is slipping her books, binders and folders into numerous file boxes when a capybara knocks on the slightly ajar door to her office.

"Dr. Leong?” he asks in a soft, genteel voice.

“Yes?” Juniper responds, looking up from her sober packing.

“I would like to see you in my office,” he says with a gentle and sincere smile.  

“Of course,” she says with a twinge of uncertainty and fear, which she hides as well as she can.

She follows her superior into his office and sits across from him, with his low and paper-covered desk between them.

“Are you firing me?” she asks. “Even though I already quit?” 

“Well,” the capybara hums humoredly, “Yes and no.”

“That’s pretty cryptic, sir.” Juniper pauses and asks, somewhat dejectedly, “Are you disappointed with me?"

“Oh, heavens, no,” he chuckles, folding his paws into each other and laying them on his stomach. “I actually wanted to say ' _Thank you_ ’.”

Juniper winces. “I’m confused.”

“I’m very proud of you.”

“…?” 

“You diffused the hullabaloo earlier today quite efficiently and I know how some of our associates are more traditional than yourself and have spoken out against you and your decision to counsel both Officers Hopps and Wilde - in that very chair, actually.” 

“That does not surprise me.” 

“But I wanted to thank you for not revealing my own secrets during this whole debacle."

“Oh…well, I might be brash, sir, but I would never incriminate you or Lucia. That didn’t even cross my mind. I think you two make a lovely couple, Señor.” 

“Thank you…Of course, with your recent behavior, your license might have to be revoked.”

“It will definitely be revoked,” Juniper laughs. “And I am actually quite all right with that. Strangely enough.”

“I see,” he smiles and reaches for a small black leather-bound notebook. “Do you mind if I ask you a few questions about this matter then?”

“Oh, um, of course,” Juniper responded haphazardly, slightly nonplussed by the over-smiley nature of her superior concerning the end of her career.

“What brought you to this field in the first place?”

Juniper inhaled sharply as she rapidly thought about how to respond. After a moment, she reveals, “I was diagnosed with severe depression when my parents died and…” she coughs, “Bogo did everything he could to make sure that I had the help I needed. Then I realized that I could heavily empathize with others and decided to make a career out of it.”

“You deeply respect him, don’t you? Your foster father?”

Juniper sighs. “I’d never tell him that though. But he was the one who raised me since I was thirteen. He put me through all my schooling. He’s not a perfect parent. But he was a good one. I’ll always be grateful for that.”

“That’s good to hear.” The capybara circles something in his notebook and Juniper flinches at the thought of finally realizing how her patients must feel when she frantically jots down notes on their psychological status.

Dr. Capibrera then states, “You followed everything fairly by the book during your internship and your clinic hours…but then something changed…quite recently, in your behavior. Can you tell me what happened? If you can?” 

“I think I realized I didn’t want to be a therapist... because I couldn’t be one. I have way too many problems of my own.”

“Problems?”

“Psychological, social, personal…I could give you a list.”

“You were always quite introspective, June.”

“I guess.”

“So if you don’t want to be a therapist anymore. What do you want to be?” 

Juniper muses for a moment then says, “I think I wanted to be a cop. Or something that would help bring my parents' murderer to justice. But with Bogo…I don’t know. And with all the profiling nowadays, I don’t think I actually want to be a cop. But,” June huffs out. “I still want to help people. I just don’t know how I’m going to do that…and still be _me_.”

The capybara nods slowly in response, with a warmth in his air, as he takes in every word she says. Then he looks up at her and smiles. “Well, given your experiences, you might prove to be a very qualified administrator for - let’s say - a neighborhood counseling center for _unique_ families?”

Juniper looks at him, questioningly.

“Let me explain…I have had a project in mind that I’ve been wanting to undertake in the next year or so. It might require a bit of moving around and another year. But I wish to start a center for mammals like ourselves - those involved with other species. A family therapy clinic for unique families. It won’t be very big but it’ll be something good and could help a lot of mammals. _You_ could help a lot of mammals.”

He leans a bit in her direction and beams even more warmly. “Would you be interested in establishing something like that with me?” 

The warmth is contagious and Juniper, in a soft eagerness, smiles back. “I would love to.” 

* * *

Three years later, Nick deadpans as he watches a tiger pace aggressively before him. Finally, he snaps.

“Kai. Just sit down. She’s not going to get any less pregnant.”

The large tiger groans in utter anxiety, “I know, I just…”

“ _Well_ ,” Judy adds softly, “She _is_ technically getting less pregnant. Since she’s giving birth.”

Streifen freezes and Nick glares at her, accusingly.

“Sorry,” she whimpers.

“Fuck, what if something goes wrong? What if they don’t have paws? What if she gets hurt – why won’t they let me inside?”

“They’re going to be the first tigards in almost a century…so they just want everything to go smoothly,” Judy says soothingly, trying to calm her superior down.

It doesn’t work. He returns to his pacing and mutters, “We shouldn’t have tried to conceive. Everyone told us that they might be stillborn. I-,”

“Kai.” Nick states sternly. “It’ll be **_ok_**. June is, by far, the strongest, scariest mammal I know. She’s going to be fine and so will your cubs."

Kai Streifen releases a long and arduous breath and sits besides Nick, still visibly nervous but calmer.

Judy secretly glances at Nick, and beams proudly at him as he goes on, “You guys went to who knows how many lengths to make this happen. And it’s happening. You shouldn’t waste your time _over_ -worrying.”

“So what?” Kai quips dejectedly. “Worry the right amount?”

“Yeah, sure,” Nick says noncommittally.

At that point, Bogo stampedes in, heaving and huffing. “Where is she?” he gruffly asks, ignoring the frightened mouse who is trying to get him to sign in.

Kai instinctively stands up at the sight of the commissioner, and offers, “She’s inside. She’s been in labor for a couple hours now.”

Bogo nods at the tiger and awkwardly shifts as a weird and tense silence develops between the two.

Kai coughs, “Um…how’s Cheryl?“

“She’s …ahem,” Bogo coughs too. (Seems there’s a bout of awkward ice breaking going around.) “She’s heading over now with flowers…Did you bring the…” he gesticulates roundness then points to the tote bag by Judy.

“June tends to over-prepare so everything should be in here,” Judy explains as brightly as she can and discreetly kicks Nicholas who was trying to hide how hilarious he found everything.

“Oh,” Kai mutters, “Yeah…I…brought it.”

“Good, thank you, Detective Hopps. Lieutenant,” Bogo articulates.

“I’m sure it’s fine to use our names, sir,” Judy returns, “Considering the circumstances.”

“No. That’s too weird for me,” Bogo brusquely explains and sits down on a seat. He nods at Nick to show that his presence was also recognized. Nick just smirks back and quickly adds the statement to his ever-growing list of Bogo-quotes. He plans on compiling them into a book for next Christmas.

Kai nervously returns to his chair and Nick just pats him on the back.

Finally, after what seemed like eons, a lioness in scrubs comes out and asks, “Mr. Streifen?”

“Yes?” Kai jerks up.

The other mammals too.

The lioness removes her mask and grins, “Congratulations. Your wife just gave birth to two healthy cubs. And all three are doing just fine. _And_ -,” she laughs, “Your wife is very proud of their Apgar scores – both cubs have an average of nine for leopards and tigers.”

Kai throws his face into his palms in relief and extensively thanks the doctor.

“Congrats, man,” Nick declares.

“Ahhh, I’m so excited,” Judy chirps gleefully as she jumps about at the lieutenant’s feet.

The lioness then asks, “Would you like to see them?”

“Oh my gosh, yes.”

Kai follows her into the delivery room, leaving the three other mammals to stand waiting in anticipation.

But then, Bogo releases a large sigh and he plops down in a slump in the chair behind him. “I was so worried,” he mumbles out into his hooves.

Nick and Judy stare in shock as their superior quickly regains his composure. Before they could properly register seeing their chief in such a state, Kai returns with eager and bright eyes.

“You guys can come in! And you won’t believe how gorgeous they are.”

They all impatiently comply and enter into a dimly lit room where Juniper was laying in a hospital bed, holding two bundles of cloth.

“Sup, fuckers,” Juniper mumbles out as they file in.

“Motherhood has definitely softened you,” Nick snorts facetiously.

“Shut your face, Wilde,” she returns then beckons him closer. “Come meet your god-kids.”

“They’re beautiful, June,” Judy sings as she hops onto the bed and peers down on the two cubs little more than half her size as they squirmed in the nest of Juniper’s arms. The cubs had fur of a smoky grey tinted in gold and long black rosettes, spots and, of course, stripes.

“Lyanna and Milo Streifen,” Kai practically weeps as he sits on the side of the bed and wraps his arms around Juniper.

“Kai… _I_ was the one who gave birth to them. Why are you the one crying?” she sneers.

“Happy tears. I’m allowed to shed happy tears,” is all he returns as he snuggles into her shoulder. June tries to play it cool but ends up resting her head upon his and smiling fondly in her fatigue. She catches Bogo try to wipe away his tears without being noticed.

“Congratulations, Juniper,” the large buffalo manages to mutter out. He splutters for a bit and says, “Your parents would be very proud.”

The leopard chuckles gently as water starts to form in her eyes too. “Thanks, dad,” she whispers.

Overwhelmed, Judy starts tearing up and wraps herself around June’s torso and starts pontificating about how happy she is for everyone.

Nick, well, he just watches from where he stands and slowly reaches his paw over to the cubs. He internally gasps when one of them grabs hold of his paw and blinks up at him with its small blue eyes and the world seems to thunder around him.

* * *

“I don’t think I’ve ever been that awestruck before,” mutters Nick as he and Judy leave the hospital in the dead of night.

“I know…I mean, _Nick_ , we got to be the first mammals to see tigards! I still can’t believe it.”

“Yeah, I just…whoa, whoa,” Nick notices that she is heading away from the parking lot. She stops and tilts her head.

“Where are you going?” he asks her, as if she were about to do something stupid.

“I’m heading to the station…” Judy articulates slowly, a little peeved at his tone, “To take the ZTA home.”

“Ew, no, come on.” Nick gestures at her to follow him. “I brought the sedan.”

At this, Judy just scoffs, rolls her eyes but still walks after him.

When they’re on the road, Judy suddenly breaks through the silence by asserting, “You should name it.”

“What?”

“The car. You should give it a name.”

Nick scoffs, “Um, no thanks.”

Now, she scoffs, “Um, why not?”

“Because that’s stupid. Why would I name my car?”

“Because it gives it character.”

“Oh, it’s got plenty of character already. I’ve poured so much money into making this car run. You’ve got no idea.”

“Must be hard having a car when you’re living in the Rainforest district now.”

“Eh, I still leave it at Aunt Tori’s.”

“Course you do. How is she?”

Nick shrugs, “Haven’t seen her in a while and tch,” he clicks his tongue, “Whenever I do she always asks about you.”

Judy smirks, “Well, _yeah_ , she likes me better than you.”

“Ugh, whatever,” he groans, “And speaking of vixens who you all apparently hang out with. I heard you still get drinks with Noel time to time. That’s _totally_ not weird,” he mutters facetiously.

“Yeah, whenever she wants to complain about her husband, she’ll text me and we’ll go out.”

“But she _always_ complains about her husband.”

Judy chortles, “Yep, my alcohol tolerance actually got pretty high due to their marital issues.”

Nick snorts, “That’s really bad.”

“I know,” she chuckles into her palms. “I’m just kidding but oh my gosh, they probably should go see someone.”

“Too bad June just works as a consultant now.”

“Well…” After a pause, Judy decides not to say what is on her mind and mutters out something else that had been plaguing her. “Oh, Noe said she set you up with one of her college friends. How’d it go?”

Nick moans and slouches even further into the seat. “Did you guys start a club of Nick Wilde’s ex-girlfriends?”

“Something like that,” she counters with a little sass.

Nick tosses her a look, then admits, “Eh, didn’t really mesh with her. A little too eager to find a mate and have kits.”

“Sounds like your mom would’ve liked her.”

“Please keep Margaret out of this.” A beat. “And you? How’s the high school sweetheart man-rabbit?”

“You mean Josh?”

“Sure, yeah, I guess I mean Josh.”

“Well, it’s been a while since we broke up so…”

Nick pauses. He wonders if he should dare to look at her but his eyes remain fixed on the road. “You did?”

“Yep. Maybe four weeks ago?”

“Oh…wow. What happened?”

“Well, the dangers of dating someone from high school is that there is a big possibility that they’re still in high school.”

“Heh,” Nick utters, now in a weird mood and buried in weird thoughts. “So look at us, single again…”

When the car reaches a traffic light, Judy whispers, apropos of the air festering between them. “I really miss you, Nick.”

Nick’s ears perk up and he glances at her. “I miss you too,” he returns.

“I miss being partners…”

“Well, you had to go get promoted so there wasn’t anything I could do about that. Eh, but now I’m a detective too so we…”

“So we could potentially be partners again…”

“Well, that too,”

“Too?”

Nick slouches his face into his paw, with his elbow propped up on the window armrest. “Never mind.”

The light turns green.

“Nick, the light’s green.”

A thought.

Nick slams on the accelerator.

“Nick!?”

He makes no response and after a few sharp turns and as Judy shouts at him to slow down, the car squeaks into a darkened parking lot by a local park.

Nick puts the car in park and just sits there, staring blankly before him.

“Are you going to murder me?” Judy finally asks, half-joking.

“I want…argh. No,” Nick huffs while his eyes burn into the ceiling of his car. “I know it didn’t work for us before. But…” he unearths a long and burdened sigh. “Judy, I want you in my life. I’m not getting any younger and just seeing everyone else starting their lives and their families.”

“I hope you’re not doing this just because you saw June’s kids.”

“If I was, I would have called up the vixen Noe set me up with.”

Judy frowns at him.

“Sorry, no, that was the wrong thing to say…Ah, fuck, I seriously practiced this.”

“Didya now?”

“Yes, shut up…Okay, look, I…” He slouches again in the seat, his arms sprawled out before him like a zombie while he still apprehensively wrings his paws upon the steering wheel.

“Nick,” Judy mutters softly, “You were the one who pushed me away. I did love you. I really did. But you pushed me away, you wouldn’t tell me anything; you kept assuming I didn’t love you back when I did.”

“I know… I hurt you. I ran away from everything and I can’t do that anymore. You were right, Judy, you were always right. I messed up. I get it. I know I did. I did the same thing to you as I did with every other girl when I was trying so desperately not to.”

He is looking at her now, desperately, painfully.

She just looks out into the dark.

He continues, at length, mustering up the mental and emotional fortitude to say what his soul craves to confess, “What I want to say is, is that, I realized I want something and I want it so bad that I am finally ready to do whatever it takes to make it last forever. I want that forever to be with you and I want it to start as soon as possible.”

Judy breathes out the ball of stress accumulating at her shoulders and bites her lower lip.

Nick presses on, “I’m not going to run away anymore. I can promise you at least that much. I…I still love you, Judy. And I don’t think I can every stop loving you.”

A beat.

Judy doesn’t say a word.

She opens the door of the car and jumps out, then slams the door behind her.

“Great,” he growls and tosses his forehead onto the steering wheel. “Well, fuck. Completely fucked it right up.”

But then his door opens.

“Get out.”

He immediately complies and tumbles out of the car.

Judy slams his door shut then opens the door to the backseat and glares up at him.

“Do you mean it? Everything you said?”

“Yes…” he whispers.

“Do you want to get back together? For good this time?”

He laughs sullenly, “I’ve wanted to fucking marry you ever since I became a cop.”

Another beat.

“Get in.”

“…Judy?”

“Do you have a condom?”

“…”

Judy thanks the heavens that the dark of night disguises how hard she knows she is blushing.

“Oh. Oh! _Oh_...Ah…I think I might have one in the-!” Nick starts scrambling about in the back seat while also digging into his empty pockets and up-turning them.

“Don’t worry about it.”

“Wait…but-,” he turns and Judy takes hold of his muzzle and kisses him.

He is in such shock that all he can do is stare at her. She presses her cheek against his, relishing in the comforting familiarity of his fur, his warmth, his person.

“I want forever too.”

* * *

_Initially, true reciprocation between Codependents A and B did not develop during their period of skinny love. But the subsequent experiences did yield, instead, the foundations for a more healthy relationship to come to fruition._ _Despite being marred by the rejection and disappointment of the previously failed relationship, subjects A and B were able to recognize their own personal defects and weaknesses, establish themselves as individuals and come back together as better, stronger, and more loving mammals and, therefore, no longer be predestined to enter another bout of skinny love._

“In conclusion, this case study notes that the factors involved in typical “skinny love” relationships, especially ones that involve two mammals of different species, will usually bar any wholesome nurturing of said relationship…unless those factors – which consist of codependency, false expectations, and miscommunication – are addressed appropriately. Which, in this case, they were at the end. But only after a period of five years, a slew of other relationships and an _obscene_ amount of time in my office.”

A number of audience members snicker.

Nick and Judy, on the other hand, stare – dumbfounded – at the leopard, who used to be their shrink, as she wryly smirks from behind a podium.

Behind Juniper Leong-Streifen is her intensely comprehensive slideshow that was aptly titled _Skinny Love:_ _A Qualitative and Observational Analysis of Unrequited Love and the Temptations of Romantic Reciprocation Across Species,_ which displayed multiple graphs, quotes and a number of embarrassing pictures.

“Now,” June chuckles as she flips a page over. “Obviously, this ‘ _paper’_ of mine was never published but the results are fairly provable. And throughout my observation, I realized how much this “case study” started affecting _my_ life. Being a therapist to these two required a lot of sacrifices; becoming their friend required more. And being their unofficial pre-marital counselor almost killed me.”

Various mammals, sitting at large round and decorated tables in the great banquet hall of the Oasis, chuckle and chortle.

“But,” she adds with a smile, “I have never regretted any of it. In fact, it would be fairly accurate to say that I am _honored_ to be a part of the lives of Subjects A and B. They’re the greatest advocates of families like my own, the godparents to my children, and the two most spectacular mammals I have ever met. So Nick and Judy… Thank you for letting me be a part _of_ and witness _to_ your not-so skinny love. Continue to prove all of us wrong in the happy years to come.”

She lifts her glass of champagne towards the two subjects of her fake paper and beams at them in a manner that they had never seen her smile before.

“To the bride and groom,” she remarks regally.

The rest of the wedding guests raise their own glasses and repeat after her with a resounding, “To the Bride and Groom!”

The room erupts with cheers, applause and clinking glasses.

Judy glances at her newly acquired husband who hides his embarrassment with a paw sprawled over his disgruntled face. She pecks him on the cheek so that the clinking and cheering dies down.

Juniper Leong-Streifen approaches the head table where Judy and Nick sit – all in a nuptial glow despite at least one half of the couple being visibly upset with her - and she hands them a thin folder.

“Figured you might want this. Might come in handy when your kids start getting twitterpated.”

Nick threatens, “I am _totally_ going to teach Milo how to swear and Lyanna to be even more sassy and sarcastic than she normally is. For _revenge_. What kind of speech was that?”

“A unique and well-thought out one for my good friend,” Juniper smiles mockingly. “And you were going do that to my kids anyways, Uncle Nick.”

Before Nick growls something back, Judy interrupts and simply says, “Thank you, June. For at least ending the speech on a happy and loving note.”

“I tried,” Juniper smirks and strides back to her table where her husband and two kids wait happily for her arrival.

“We have the worst friends,” Nick mutters to his wife, despite the little bouts of happiness sparking within him.

“You’re the one who made her your ‘ _best mammal_ ’,” Judy mutters through her sarcasm while using air quotes.

“It would’ve been worse if Finnick were the one up there. We have kids attending. He’s a walking parental nightmare. And you refused to have Flash give a speech on anything.”

“I hate him,” Judy boils adorably.

“I know,” Nick chuckles then he frowns. “But how did she get my middle school pictures?”

“The same way she got mine. She bribed our parents.” The Judy smirks, “But I did _thoroughly_ appreciate finding out that you had braces in the 7 th grade.”

He groans into his paws, trying to repress the images of his smiley middle school self. “How did you know she bribed our folks?”

“Suzie texted me just now,” she explains as she holds up her phone, showing him a text from the contact “Soo-Zoo” that stated: _J gave Mom that salad tosser she wanted in exchange for those pictures BTW. Not my fault_.

Nick scoffs and puts a paw to his chest, as if he were scandalized, “ _Mrs. Wilde_ , were you on _your phone_ during the whole ceremony?”

He loves the sound of it as it rolls off his tongue. _Mrs. Judy Wilde_.

“Oh no, _Mr. Wilde_ , just when you started crying incessantly during your vows,” Judy jeers at him.

She loves the gaze he gives her, which overflows with affection when he thinks no one is looking.

Nick huffs and gives her a humored smile. “Sly bunny.”

“Dumb fox,” Judy retorts before she kisses her husband.

* * *

 

Thus ended the strides of skinny love, so that they could start walking together as husband and wife - even though, apparently, it all started with a hustle. 

* * *

The End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IT’S DONE! IT’S DONE!!!!! AAAAAAHHHHHHH. I don’t think I ever legitimately ever finished a multi-chapter fic in a somewhat well-written way. At least, gah…I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to see what you all think but THANK YOU! To all of you guys who have written such encouraging comments - those really kept me going and I am so grateful of the support you guys have shared about my writing, my characters and my story. Thank you! Thank you!
> 
> I hope none of you were too saddened by the fact that I had them separate for a few years but I just figured, in my mind, that if anything did happen at the point after their last “session” with (not really a) Dr. Leong-Scott then it would be too quick for them – because, honestly, skinny loves don’t work out unless, you know, they stop being skinny.
> 
> Ummmm…what else? I gave Bogo a nice sweet buffalo lady-friend who bakes pies. Oh, there’s a pattern to the names of the Leong-Streifen family – Juniper, Kai, Lyanna and Milo. Because I am so damn smart and clever and beautiful and smart…tch. Anyways, Lyanna’s just as feisty as her mother and Milo is a sweet child who epitomizes the Lawful Good. He will never do anything wrong. Ever. He even keeps his mother in check and will start doing everyone’s taxes by the time he’s twelve. Lyanna is the one that Nick shares a special connection with - because they are the same person. And Judy and Milo are best friends. Lyanna also becomes President and sits the Iron Throne. Juniper becomes a life consultant/coach after her license gets revoked and does freelance editing on the side. She loves it. 
> 
> Honestly, this last chapter was a little rushed so there are probably a lot of mistakes and I’ll most likely make edits after the initial post-date but who cares, it’s out there and it’s all for you!!
> 
> I have never been this prolific in writing fics than this summer…and I want to write more! I have ideas for a Jack Savage spin-off one shot about him and Felina, the alluring feline femme fatale (so much alliteration!) Or, doing a Star Wars/Cowboy Bebop AU…still up in the air. Might do both. Will probably do both. Wanna have me do both?


End file.
